Calls for permanent pill testing after festival success

Australia's largest festival pill-testing trial has been hailed a success, with the program's boss declaring the service should roll out permanently.

The trial at the Beyond The Valley music festival was the first time Victoria has offered pill testing, and the state's health minister and the service's boss declared it had done its job.

"We had people lining up waiting to come in well before we were ready to open," The Loop Australia chief executive Cameron Francis told AAP.

Health-care staff spoke to more than 700 festival-goers, mainly aged in their late teens and early 20s, and tested more than 600 samples.

"It definitely has been a success," Mr Francis said.

"It showed us festival-goers want us to be there. They're really happy to come forward, they're really hungry for information, and they're hungry for advice."

MDMA, ketamine and cocaine were the most frequently tested drugs.

The service did not discover any highly dangerous substances that would necessitate a public alert, Mr Francis said.

However, there were instances of lower-level detections where one drug had been being sold as another substance.

Almost 40 per cent of patrons said they would use a lower dose of their drugs after having a conversation with health professionals testing their substances, according to preliminary data.

Among those were multiple instances of patrons prescribed antidepressants seeking advice about MDMA, which Mr Francis said was a major risk combination that could lead to serotonin syndrome.

"It's a really risky condition that can be fatal," he said.

In one example, a patron on antidepressants said they would not use the drug following the conversation.

A man aged in his twenties who attended the festival was treated for a drug overdose at Geelong Hospital but no information was available on whether he used the service as revellers were not asked to provide their names or other details.

Mr Francis said Victoria's first pill testing trial had better outcomes than trials run elsewhere, given the young crowd the Beyond The Valley festival attracted.

"Some of the younger crowds are maybe even more receptive to our advice as they tend to be fairly naive and relatively inexperienced using drugs," he said.

Preliminary data indicated that for more than 70 per cent of patrons, it was the first time they had a judgment-free discussion with a health professional about drug and alcohol use.

With the first trial done, Mr Francis said the service had its greatest impact when it was available to as many people as possible - something that could also shape the drug market by pushing out more dangerous substances.

"These preliminary insights have already highlighted that what starts as a simple drug check often evolves into deeper conversations about health and wellbeing - a crucial step in our harm reduction approach," Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas said.

Opposition mental health spokeswoman Emma Kealy said the program rollout was "botched" after an overdose on the first day of the festival.

The trial is set to continue across 10 Victorian events during the 2024/25 music festival season.

Pill testing is legal in Queensland and the ACT, while NSW says it will launch a $1 million 12-month trial in 2025.