Reply From The Government About Diamorphine Prescribing

Heres the reply I just got from the department of health from the letter I sent last month... pretty vague if you ask me...


Heres the original letter I sent of: Plese feel fee to edit:

                                                                                ......./......./2010

Dear (Insert MP’s name here),

               

                 I am writing with regards to the current treatment modality of heroin addiction in the UK.

After personally using heroin for 15 years and having utilising the various treatment options currently available believe I have a fair understanding of the issues surrounding opiate addiction and treatment.

In my experience, and invariably of many others, maintenance treatments like methadone and subutex, have their place, but for the majority of addicts just don’t work, one report suggests a success rate of just 4% with methadone!

There are numerous government reports supporting the prescribing of diamorphine for heroin addicts, and the studies and trials that have been done all have much better results regarding health problems and a marked reduction in crimes committed to support habits.

The UK is also in a better position legally than most other countries as doctors here are allowed to prescribe diamorphine for addiction (alebeit with a home office license) this should be exploited as there are hundreds of thousands of heroin addicts in the UK that can see no way out of their situation.

After a recent heroin ‘drought’ in the UK, a lot of addicts are questioning the range of treatments available to us.

Not only is the situation regarding getting into a treatment programme different all over the country, the choices on offer (methadone or subutex maintenance are not suitable for everyone)

For example, some GP’s will prescribe on the same day, but in other areas users will have to join a drug dependency unit and be co-prescribed with a GP, this on average can take six to eight weeks which is just too long, typically when an addict asks for help, they are at ‘rock bottom’ and need it immediately.

In our class culture, if a user can afford it, a lot of private doctors will prescribe morphine, diamorphine or benzodiazepines with no questions asked. How is this fair to the average addict?

I feel (along with many others) we are made to jump through so many hoops it almost isn’t worthwhile. Even if we do what is asked of us we are only going to get a drug which is more addictive than heroin, has more side effects, is a lot harder to detox from and in most cases doesn’t even alleviate 100% withdrawal symptoms and cravings!

I believe it is time the government looks at other options. Methadone and subutex do not work for the majority of addicts. There are plenty of other options out there and we need to stop looking at addiction with a ‘one size fits all’ attitude.

Addiction is obviously a very complex, difficult issue to treat, many of us have deep psychological issues, whether it be from childhood abuse, or pre-existing depression that we discovered was manageable through opiates.

It is proven that opiates alleviate depression. It’s time we were treated with dignity and respect, like any ‘normal’ patient would get.

Currently, your average heroin user is forced to buy on the streets from unscrupulous criminal gangs that will, as standard ‘cut’ heroin with all kinds of adulterants, putting users at risk from poisoning.

Not only would being treated properly with appropriate medication put a stop to health problems associated with injecting/smoking adulterated heroin, there would be a marked drop in drug related crime, prostitution, gang affiliated violence and profiteering.

I believe we need to re-asses the way we currently treat addicts, if users want to use methadone it should be made easier and faster to access, injectable ampoules should be made available to those who want it as needle fixation is a big part of many addicts’ problem.

Injectable diamorphine should be the standards treatment for addicts that inject and for smokers, in tablet form.

A clean supply of these drugs would massively reduce the problems classically associated with heroin addiction.

It would also mean users would be able to lead a relatively ‘normal’ life, get back into employment and attain some level of dignity as the daily routine of getting money, buying drugs would no longer be an issue!

I realise this is a highly controversial issue and will not change overnight but I believe we need to move out of the stone age when it comes to the treatment of addiction

Yours Sincerely

(Name/Or I guess it could be anonymous?)

Send one off yourself too!



miltona@parliament.uk
anne@annemilton.co.uk


Theresa May's email address (current person responsible for drugs policy/strategy) - mayt@parliament.uk

Dear Mr ********,

Thank you for your email of 6 December to Anne Milton about the prescribing of diamorphine to those dependent on drugs.  I have been asked to reply.

The Department is grateful for your email outlining your experiences of drug dependency and treatment.   

Although treatment is not a ‘one size fits all’ system, it is important to understand that high quality treatment is the most effective way to address drug dependency.  Having independently evaluated methadone and buprenorphine, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has recommended that substitute prescribing with either methadone or buprenorphine, delivered in tandem with psychosocial treatments (such as talking therapies), should be the frontline treatment for opioid dependency in the UK.  However, the Department shares your concern that in the past methadone may not have been used appropriately or to the full benefit of patients.  The Department wants to see treatment helping those who are dependent on drugs to full recovery, reducing the harmful effects that drugs have on both individuals and the wider society and enabling them to contribute productively to society.

On 8 December 2010 , the Department published a new Drugs Strategy, ‘Reducing demand, restricting supply, building recovery: supporting people to live a drug-free life’.  This puts a greater emphasis on supporting those who are drug dependent to achieve recovery and on enabling local community providers to help those who are drug dependent to achieve better outcomes.

An electronic copy of the strategy can be found on the Home Office website at:

http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk

and by entering the title of the publication in the search bar and following the links.

You may also be interested to know that the National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse has recently set up an expert group, chaired by Professor John Strang of the National Addiction Centre, to develop a clinical consensus and protocols for substitute prescribing.  This will focus practitioners and clients on abstinence and long-term recovery, and prevent unplanned drift into long-term maintenance.

Yours sincerely,

Edward Corbett
Customer Service Centre
Department of Health'