Vol. 559 No. 5
296 Mr. Crowe asked the Minister for Health and Children if his attention has been drawn to the problems being experienced by the widespread use of benzos among clients on drugs projects; and the measures or plans he proposes to implement to deal with this growing problem. [26648/02]
I am aware of the problems being experienced by the widespread use of benzodiazepines among drug misusers. This was one of the reasons I established the benzodiazepine committee in June 2000 and I recently launched its report. The committee also drew up good practice guidelines for clinicians. The treatment of drug misusers forms part of these guidelines, which have now been circulated to general practitioners and to drug services within the health boards.
In addition, while awaiting the publication of the committee's report and guidelines, it was felt that interim measures should be put in place with regard to benzodiazepine usage amongst the drug using community who were attending drug treatment clinics. A proposal was developed by the committee to reduce sources of multi-prescribing to known drugs users. The objective was to identify either the clinic practitioner or the patient's general practitioner as the doctor who would take the lead role in prescribing benzodiazepines or psychotropic drugs. It was also recommended that in general the lead, with the agreement of a client's general practitioner, should be with the drug treatment clinic. Following consultation with the three area health boards in the eastern region, the committee's chairman wrote to the area health board chief executives in April 2001 advising them of the new arrangements to be put in place.
I am confident that the benzodiazepine report's recommendations will prove of considerable significance in addressing the problem of benzodiazepine misuse here.
