title: Prescribing heroin.
abstract: Recent UK guidelines support the prescription of injectable heroin and methadone for opiate dependence, but many doctors disagree. Heroin has been prescribed in England for almost a hundred years, and the "British system" was once the subject of international curiosity. Since 1965, a prescriber licensing system has led to a great reduction in the proportion of opiate addicts treated with heroin. Recent trials in Switzerland and the Netherlands have prompted a review of British practice. It will probably remain somewhat different from continental practice, particularly with respect to long-term supervised injecting, but without adequate funding it may disappear altogether.
authors.affiliation: Durham Addiction Service, Darlington, United Kingdom. Thomas.Carnwath@cddps.northy.nhs.uk
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Carnwath
mesh_terms: D011307:Drug Prescriptions; D006291:Health Policy; D003932:Heroin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008004:Licensure; D009294:Narcotics / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009293:Opioid-Related Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006113:United Kingdom
chemical_list: D009294:Narcotics; D003932:Heroin