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Study highlights new and cheaper way to treat heroin addiction
December 08, 2006Costly methadone treatment for heroin addicts could be replaced by a substitute painkiller that is half the price, safer and less toxic.
In a study spanning three and a half years, researchers found that the prescription painkiller dihydrocodeine is equally as effective as methadone to help drug users kick the habit.
The research by the Universities of Edinburgh, Napier and Adelaide could have major implications for treatment programmes for drug users, which have proved controversial not least because of the high costs involved.
In contrast to methadone -which comes in liquid not tablet form - dihydrocodeine is much easier to store and comes under less stringent regulations because it is not as toxic and less likely to cause a fatal overdose. It is estimated that whereas methadone treatment can cost almost £1,500 annually per patient, the cost of dihydrocodeine is £713.
Dihydrocodeine has been used by GPs and specialists for many years to treat drug users . It is often preferred in situations where methadone is seen as hazardous, such as police custody or prison. Its effectiveness has, however, never been tested before.
Dr Roy Robertson, a Reader at the University of Edinburgh, who is the study's main author, said: "Heroin addiction is a chronic condition requiring long-term medication. Just as with other chronic conditions, such as diabetes or arthritis, there should be a number of treatments available so that doctors and nurses can tailor medication to the needs of each patient.
"Methadone should still be used to treat the majority of patients withdrawing from heroin and requiring maintenance treatment, but dihydrocodeine offers an alternative treatment for those who can't tolerate methadone, or find it hard to deal with the stigma of having to take their dose - sometimes every day - in a pharmacy. It is also much cheaper."
The study, the first of its kind in the world, assessed 235 people requiring treatment for opiate dependency in Edinburgh and found that dihydrocodeine was just as effective as methadone.
Dr Roberston, who also works as a GP, added that while there were less restrictions attached to prescribing dihydrocodeine tablets, it is still essential that treatment regimes are controlled and tailored to the individual.
"We want to engage young people in a treatment programme which stops them from injecting drugs and running the risk of infection," he said.
"Apart from the danger of contracting AIDS, drug users run the real risk of exposure to the potentially fatal liver disease, Hepatitis C. We face an epidemic of Hepatitis C in Scotland, with 40% of young people who have been injecting drugs for more than two years being infected with this serious illness.\\\
University of Edinburgh
In contrast to methadone -which comes in liquid not tablet form - dihydrocodeine is much easier to store and comes under less stringent regulations because it is not as toxic and less likely to cause a fatal overdose. It is estimated that whereas methadone treatment can cost almost £1,500 annually per patient, the cost of dihydrocodeine is £713.
Dihydrocodeine has been used by GPs and specialists for many years to treat drug users . It is often preferred in situations where methadone is seen as hazardous, such as police custody or prison. Its effectiveness has, however, never been tested before.
Dr Roy Robertson, a Reader at the University of Edinburgh, who is the study's main author, said: "Heroin addiction is a chronic condition requiring long-term medication. Just as with other chronic conditions, such as diabetes or arthritis, there should be a number of treatments available so that doctors and nurses can tailor medication to the needs of each patient.
"Methadone should still be used to treat the majority of patients withdrawing from heroin and requiring maintenance treatment, but dihydrocodeine offers an alternative treatment for those who can't tolerate methadone, or find it hard to deal with the stigma of having to take their dose - sometimes every day - in a pharmacy. It is also much cheaper."
The study, the first of its kind in the world, assessed 235 people requiring treatment for opiate dependency in Edinburgh and found that dihydrocodeine was just as effective as methadone.
Dr Roberston, who also works as a GP, added that while there were less restrictions attached to prescribing dihydrocodeine tablets, it is still essential that treatment regimes are controlled and tailored to the individual.
"We want to engage young people in a treatment programme which stops them from injecting drugs and running the risk of infection," he said.
"Apart from the danger of contracting AIDS, drug users run the real risk of exposure to the potentially fatal liver disease, Hepatitis C. We face an epidemic of Hepatitis C in Scotland, with 40% of young people who have been injecting drugs for more than two years being infected with this serious illness.\\\
University of Edinburgh
UCSF launches study on treatment for prescription drug addiction
UCSF is launching a new study to evaluate treatments for addiction to prescription painkillers and has openings for patients to enroll.
Prescription opioids the predominant choice among illicit opioid users
For almost a century, heroin addiction has been a core element of the illicit drug use problem in Canada. Recently, however, isolated reports have pointed to substantial increases in prescription opioid abuse.
New study finds common herbal supplement helps to reduce cocaine cravings
A new study funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) suggests that a common over-the-counter herbal supplement can reduce the cravings associated with chronic cocaine use.
New Treatment Option For Heroin Addiction (pp 634, 662)
An alternative drug therapy to methadone for the treatment of heroin addiction is proposed by Swedish authors of a study in this week's issue of THE LANCET. Methadone is an established treatment for heroin addiction-however it is usually only given to long-term addicts as there are concerns that it is addictive. Buprenorphine has been suggested for the treatment of heroin dependence, but little research has justified its effectiveness. Markus Heilig from the Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden, and colleagues assessed the 1-year efficacy of buprenorphine in combination with intensive psychosocial therapy for treatment of heroin addiction. 40 adults who had been categorised as opiate dep
Unique research finding : Majority of heroin addicts can be treated
Unique research finding at Karolinska Institutet and the Maria Clinic in Sweden shows that a majority of heroin addicts can be treated with a combination of drugs and psychological therapy. A study of heroin addicts that were treated with the drug buprenorfin in combination with group therapy, a contact officer, and drug testing showed excellent results. Fully 75% of the addicts receiving the drug remained on the treatment program after one year as opposed to 0% of a control group that received a placebo alongside the other treatment components. Among those patients still in treatment drug abuse has declined dramatically or ceased, and their social function has improved markedly. Narcotics-
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