An expert group chaired by Prof John Strang of the National Addiction Centre meets for the first time today (8th November) to start developing new expert guidance on how the prescribing of medications can help individuals achieve fuller recovery.

The group was set up as part of National Treatment Agency plans to refocus the drug treatment system in England and enable service-users to sustain recovery, rebuild their lives and make a contribution to society.

It brings together experts in drug treatment – doctors, nurses, treatment providers, service-users, carers and the voluntary sector - to examine ways of ensuring that service users do not drift into long-term substitute prescribing without efforts being made to maximise beneficial change in their lives.  

The latest National Drug Treatment Monitoring System figures show that almost two thirds of heroin addicts in treatment are maintained on opiate substitutes for more than a year. Of the 153,632 people receiving substitute prescribing in 2009-10, 35,120 had been on methadone or buprenorphine for more than four years.

Paul Hayes, NTA Chief Executive, said: "People come into treatment wanting to get better. Month by month, more people are successfully overcoming their addiction.  We are moving in the right direction, but there is more we could do to engender hope in the treatment system and ensure more clients are on the road to recovery.

"Medical experts tell us it can take several years for heroin addicts to overcome their dependency. So it is hardly surprising that a large proportion of those in treatment - about 95,000 at the last count – were on prescribing for longer than a year, one-third of them for more than four years.

"We know that some vulnerable individuals will always need long-term support, but we also suspect that many others could be helped to make earlier fuller recovery sooner. What are the right proportions, who is ready to move on safely and when, and how we ensure substitute prescribing does not become a default option, are issues we want Prof John Strang and his expert clinical group to consider."

Professor Strang said: "I am pleased to be involved with creating a more dynamic treatment system so that those with addiction problems can be helped in the best ways possible for their individual circumstances and personal aspirations.  For some individuals, the best treatment will include the prescribing of substitute medications, while for others this may be inappropriate or unnecessary.  In all instances, the objective is to enable the individual to achieve their full personal recovery, and the challenge for the expert group will be to develop clinical protocols to guide clinicians and agencies to help individuals make progress towards this objective."

Terms of reference and membership of the expert group
Ends

Notes:

The National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse (NTA) is a National Health Service (NHS) special health authority which aims to improve the availability, capacity and effectiveness of drug treatment in England.  We help people to overcome addiction and regain their lives.

Analysis quoted is for 2009-10 and collected through the National Drug Treatment Monitoring System (NDTMS).

Latest continuous period of prescribing

For further information about the NTA please contact Lynne Nasti, Senior Communications Officer (Media), on 020 7972 1920 (business hours) or 07747 535961 (out of hours) or visit our website at www.nta.nhs.uk.