Victoria Opens Its First Permanent Pill Testing Site on Brunswick Street in Fitzroy — Offering Free and Confidential Advice From Healthcare Professionals
Victoria’s first permanent pill testing service has opened in Fitzroy, marking a major step in the state’s ongoing harm reduction trial.
The Allan Labor Government has launched the new Victorian Pill Testing Service at 95 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, with doors opening on Thursday, August 21. The service will provide completely free, confidential and nonjudgmental advice from health professionals to people who choose to use illicit substances.
Operating three days a week — Thursdays (12–4pm), Fridays (3–7pm) and Saturdays (1–7pm) — the Fitzroy service offers more access hours than any other pill testing program currently available in Australia. Its central location places it close to nightlife, public transport and community health services, making it easier for people to access this potentially life-saving support when they're likely to need it most.
The fixed site will test pills, capsules, powders, crystals and liquids — while also screening for highly dangerous synthetic opioids such as fentanyl and nitazenes. These substances have become increasingly prevalent in the Australian drug market and are associated with a significant risk of overdose and death. Alongside testing, the service plays a vital role in real-time drug monitoring, providing early warnings to health authorities about new and potent substances in circulation.
The Fitzroy service is being delivered by a trusted consortium including Youth Support and Advocacy Service, The Loop Australia and Harm Reduction Victoria, with backing from Melbourne Health, Youth Projects and Metabolomics Australia at the University of Melbourne. Victoria's mobile pill testing unit will also continue, returning to major festivals this summer after assessing almost 1400 samples last season and issuing two statewide alerts about dangerous substances.
Evidence from the trial so far highlights the program's impact: 65 percent of service users had their first-ever harm reduction conversation with a health professional, more than 30 percent reported they would take a smaller amount of drugs after testing, and 91 percent of users were aged 18–30.
"Pill testing works," said Minister for Mental Health Ingrid Stitt on the results from the mobile trial. "With Victoria's first fixed site now open, we're giving people more opportunities to have honest, health-focused conversations and get the information they need to make safer choices."
Images: iStock
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