The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 268 No 7199 p705-712
25 May 2002

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News summary

Call to shake-up policy on illegal drugs

The Government's policy on illegal drugs should concentrate on harm reduction rather than criminal sanctions, a House of Commons Home Affairs Committee report has concluded this week. Problems with dispensing Controlled Drugs might also be solved if proposals to amend current regulations are accepted.

Addressing treatment of addiction, the committee focuses on problems in substitute prescribing. It highlights a lack of available places for patients to receive methadone treatment. "We recommend that the Government substantially increases the funding for treatment of heroin addicts and ensure that methadone treatments and complementary therapies are universally available to those who need them," the report states.

However, the committee recognises that methadone does not work for all addicts so recommends that "the broadest possible range" of treatments is made available to opiate users. It suggests that an evaluation of diamorphine prescribing for heroin addiction is undertaken and that a pilot programme of safe-injecting houses for heroin users should be established.

Problems with dispensing Controlled Drugs are recognised. The committee heard evidence from the Royal Pharmaceutical Society that "antiquated regulations make it difficult for community pharmacists to dispense Controlled Drugs such as methadone to users in a sensible and efficient way". Problems with amending instalment prescriptions and handwriting requirements are highlighted.

In order to address these issues, the committee recommends that the Home Office and Department of Health urgently review the current legal framework surrounding dispensing of Controlled Drugs by community pharmacists, in consultation with the Society.

Harm reduction and supply of paraphernalia are also addressed. The report notes that supply of paraphernalia is obstructed by regulations and includes comments from Christine Glover, council member, Royal Pharmaceutical Society. She says: "We have an ironical situation where we are not allowed to supply the paraphernalia which also helps with harm reduction. It is not appropriate that we are in a situation where we cannot make a supply of citric acid or swabs for injections because we are breaking the law ... It is a nonsense." The committee recommends that the Government reviews section 9A of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 with a view to repealing it so that paraphernalia can be supplied.

Other recommendations made in the report include cannabis being reclassified from class B to class C, ecstasy being reclassified from class A to class B and more treatment places being made available for cocaine and crack users.

In his initial response to the publication, the Home Secretary (David Blunkett), said that he welcomed the call for renewed effort on harm minimisation and education. However, he did not support reclassification of ecstasy and had no plans for injecting rooms. Mr Blunkett is expected to make a detailed response to the report next month.