Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 20 Feb 1996

Vol. 461 No. 7

Written Answers. - Methadone Maintenance Programme.

Frances Fitzgerald

Question:

146 Ms F. Fitzgerald asked the Minister for Health the current cost of the methadone maintenance programme; and the study, if any, that has been undertaken to evaluate the extent to which it achieves its purpose namely stabilisation or controlled drug use. [3860/96]

Minister for Health (Mr. Noonan,

Limerick East): Methadone maintenance is one element of the overall treatment services which are provided to drug misusers. The costs of this service arise from three sources:

(i) provision of methadone maintenance at community drug centres in Baggot Street, Amiens Street and Ballyfermot. The cost of methadone for these centres was £220,000 in 1995.

(ii) provision of methadone maintenance at Drug Treatment Centre, Pearse Street. The cost of methadone in the year January 1995 — December 1995 was £68,474.

(iii) dispensing of methadone, which is prescribed by general practitioners in accordance with the Protocol for the Prescribing of Methadone and dispensed through pharmacies. The cost to the General Medical Services for the prescribing of methadone was £370,276 (December 1994 — November 1995).

It should be noted that the drug methadone is used for the treatment of disease quite apart from its use in drug misuse treatment, so some of the GMS costs relate to the treatment of persons other than drug misusers.

It should also be noted that the costs mentioned above do not take account of staff, counselling services, urine analysis etc., which form part of a comprehensive methadone maintenance programme.

While the ultimate aim of any drug treatment programme is a drug fee lifestyle, it is recognised that for some drug misusers this is not an option, at least in the short-term. International evidence supports the view that methadone maintenance is a valid part of an integrated response to treating the problem of heroin abuse. It allows clinicians to treat chaotic drug misusers in such a way as to stabilise their dependence and to reduce their anti-social behaviour. In this way, following stabilisation, drug misusers are in a position to consider further options such as detoxification or rehabilitation, leading to a totally drugfree lifestyle.

A pilot programme, which will implement all of the elements of the protocol on the prescribing of methadone, will evaluate the effectiveness of methadone maintenance in an overall treatment plan for drug misuse. This pilot programme will commence in the near future.