Victorian premier 'seeking advice' on pill testing after multiple festival overdoses

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan says she is "seeking advice" about potential changes to pill testing laws after almost a dozen people overdosed at back-to-back music festivals this month.

Experts called for urgent pill testing reforms after eight people were put into induced comas following suspected MDMA drug overdoses at Melbourne's Hardmission Festival on January 6.

A further two women were taken to hospital on January 12 after suspected drug use at Juicy Fest.

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Some of the partygoers had been in a critical condition in ICU.

The incidents renewed calls for pill testing to be legalised in the state, and reverse Victoria's current tough stance on drugs.

Premier Allan today said while there were no current plans to change the government's policy settings on drug checking, an investigation was underway.

"There are no current plans to change the policy setting on drug checking," she said.

"However, I am seeking some further advice from the health department about what we're seeing over this summer period."

READ MORE: Experts call for pill testing after nine hospitalised from suspected drug overdoses

Currently, Queensland and the ACT are the only states in Australia to have legalised pill testing.

Former Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews previously outlawed the practice, vowing it would never be introduced under his leadership.

Deputy Premier Ben Caroll last week said the government's position hadn't changed and that drug testing wasn't the measure that was needed.

The government's language around the issue took a slight change today, with Premier Allan telling reporters she would wait for advice to be released before any action was taken.

The state's health department is undertaking an investigation into what happened at Hardmission.

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Allan said it would look at whether heat had played a major factor in the overdoses.

"What's important here is to consider the evidence and advice from from experts," she said.

"I need to have further conversations with colleagues, ministerial colleagues who have the policy responsibility for this area."

She said it was important to consider the advice before any new policy steps were taken.

"I think it's important to examine that evidence and advice and consider that in the policy settings that we have across all of our alcohol and drug policy measures, which is taking a harm minimisation approach," Allan said.

"There are different sorts of drugs coming into circulation and we need to understand that."

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The Greens, the Animal Justice Party and Legalise Cannabis Victoria parties have a bill before Victorian parliament that would allow mobile pill testing stations at major music festivals, as well as a fixed site.

Following the suspected overdoses this month, the parties refreshed their joint call for the state government to establish pill testing.

Swinburne University's Centre for Human Psychopharmacology Dr Amie Hayley said healthcare workers would be able to provide harm minimisation support to drug users, free from fear of law enforcement.

"When used, these services are well received and provide patrons with the opportunity to change their behaviour," she said.

"Importantly, there is no evidence to suggest that it increases drug use or drug-related harm.