Only licensed general medical practitioners will be allowed to prescribe Controlled Drugs for addicts, with the exception of oral methadone treatment, under law changes to be introduced later this year.
On March 17, the Home Office started consultation with interested organisations on a proposal to require GPs who prescribe for addicts to hold licences if they are to prescribe any CD listed in Schedule 2 or 3 of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 1985 (with the exception of National Health Service prescriptions for methadone mixture) or any injectable CD, whether under the NHS or on private prescription.
Under current regulations, licences are only required by doctors prescribing cocaine, diamorphine or dipipanone to drug addicts.
The proposal is that licence applications will be subject to initial vetting by local directors of public health. Applicants will be expected to demonstrate an appropriate level of expertise and training, as well as a suitable clinical environment that is integrated with other specialist services.
In a press release, the Home Office said that the proposal would support and build on recent Department of Health guidelines on the clinical management of drug misuse and dependency (PJ, April 17, 1999, p529). The guidelines are available on the internet at www.doh.gov.uk/drugdep.htm.
The proposal is open for consultation until May 19. Comments can be sent to the Action Against Drugs Unit, Room 240, Home Office, 50 Queen Anne's Gate, London SW1H 9AT.