A sharp rise in heroin overdoses in Victoria since 2014 has been linked to the introduction of a new formulation of a prescription painkiller, which makes it harder to inject or snort.

The Monash Addiction Research Centre warns Victoria is facing a heroin crisis not seen since the heroin glut in the mid to late-1990s.

A new study by the centre finds there was a 25 per cent increase in heroin overdoses in Victoria from 2014 to 2018.

A syringe of heroin. Credit:Jessica Hromas

At the same time there was a flattening of overdoses attributed to pharmaceutical pain medicines.