Frances Fitzgerald
Question:57 Ms F. Fitzgerald asked the Minister for Health the progress, if any, to date of the methadone maintenance programme in the Dublin area. [11301/96]
Written Answers. - Methadone Maintenance Programme.
Limerick East): The provision of methadone maintenance in the Dublin area is a matter for the Eastern Health Board in the first instance.
There are currently almost 1,400 on the central methadone treatment list which is held by the Eastern Health Board and the drug treatment centre. By the end of 1996 it is the aim through a variety of initiatives to increase numbers on the treatment list to 2,500 as follows:—
— A series of local initiatives in consultation with community interests in a number of community care areas. This will represent a development of services in areas not previously covered by such a service.
— The expansion of methadone disbursing services in existing community drug centres to a seven day service. This will allow for greater access for those in need.
— Initiatives in the north and south inner city to provide early intervention for problem drug users with a variety of detoxification procedures.
— a methadone maintenance pilot project involving GPs. This involves a selected number of patients who have been stabilised in drug treatment centres and who are being referred to general practitioners for continuation of methadone maintenance treatment and overall medical care. The elements which are included in this pilot programme are: drug misusers, who are referred to general practitioners, will have been previously stabilised in a health board treatment clinic; each patient is provided with a personalised treatment card; a facilitator, appointed by the Eastern Health Board, is providing liaison between treatment centres, general practitioners and pharmacies; and any drug misuser who becomes destabilised while under general practitioner care will be referred back to a treatment centre for attention and further treatment.
At present, there are 25 doctors prescribing to 40 patients with treatment cards who are being dispensed methadone from 20 pharmacists. It is expected that following the successful evaluation of this programme a number of other GPs will become involved in prescribing.
In addition, there are over 680 patients being prescribed methadone by 25 general practitioners in the community. The board is endeavouring to expand treatment services to drug misusers who are on waiting lists for such treatment. The number of additional persons for whom treatment will be provided will depend on the success of the Eastern Health Board in establishing further community drug centres in local areas and also on the number of additional general practitioners and pharmacists who are prepared to prescribe and dispense methadone respectively to stabilised drug misusers.