Harm minimisation, and the power of shared data to save lives

Jessamine Soderstrom is a clinical toxicologist working on the front lines of the war on drugs. She is part of the team at Royal Perth Hospital’s Emergency Department, dealing with people experiencing the ill-effects of illicit drugs, including psychosis.  

Often, doctors do not know what drug they are dealing with and can only do their best to manage symptoms. 

Jessamine explains how a national illicit drug surveillance and early warning system would reduce harm by providing the information needed to mitigate drug emergencies. 

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx 

About the speaker 

A self-professed nerd with a desire for a sedate life in an adrenaline-fuelled environment, Jessamine is an emergency physician and clinical toxicologist at Royal Perth Hospital and a clinical toxicologist with the National Poisons Network.  

Jessamine has been privileged to work with an amazing team of researchers and clinicians to turn a seed of an idea into a fully-fledged, data-driven, national project. The aim is to foster relationships around the country with the view of developing an early warning system around drugs of abuse.  

It is the recognition and respect of each other’s strengths and qualities that have enabled an environment where innovation can thrive.