Stop Illegal Prescription Drug Use

Stop Illegal Prescription Drug Use, Says Chief Medical Officer

6 November 2007, New Zealand Drug Foundation

There are calls for the Ministry of Health to crack down on the illegal use of prescription drugs.

Capital and Coast's Chief Medical Officer, Dr Geoffrey Robinson says while New Zealand is in a unique position of having little street heroin, prescription drugs such as methadone and morphine have increased on the street market.

Speaking to the combined Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs (APSAD) and Cutting Edge Addiction Conference in Auckland today, he says the number of methadone patients has increased over the past 20 years from about 400 to 4000.

"We have a wonderful opportunity in New Zealand as we are one of the few countries with no imported heroin, yet large quantities of prescription drugs are on our streets with the result that we are seeing significant numbers of addicts. The misuse of prescription opioids is an escalating problem," says Dr Robinson.

With one morphine tablet being sold for up to $100, Dr Robinson believes some of these drugs are coming from professional 'doctor shoppers' who get a prescription from a doctor and then sell them on the streets. He says the drugs are also making their way onto the streets via patients who ‘divert’ their prescription supplies, and, from forged scripts and pharmacy break-ins.

"I've spoken to the National Drug Intelligence Bureau and they can't find large quantities being imported. The police tell me this issue is not a priority," he says.

Dr Robinson says there are guidelines for doctors outlining when to prescribe these opioids for non-malignant chronic pain but believes these are not well recognised in many areas of practice.

"So far the responses by bodies such as the Ministry of Health, the police and the medical profession have failed to contain this epidemic and prescriptions for these drugs continue to rise," says Dr Robinson. "I think it's time that action was taken to get these drugs off the streets."

The conference is on from Sunday 4 November – Wednesday 7 November at the Aotea Centre, Auckland.

More information about the combined APSAD and Cutting Edge Addiction Conference, including a programme can be found at www.twonationstencultures.co.nz.

ENDS

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