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PubMed · 16188711

Prescribing heroin.

Tom Carnwath
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Abstract

Recent UK guidelines support the prescription of injectable heroin and methadone for opiate dependence, but many doctors disagree. Heroin has been prescribed in England for almost a hundred years, and the "British system" was once the subject of international curiosity. Since 1965, a prescriber licensing system has led to a great reduction in the proportion of opiate addicts treated with heroin. Recent trials in Switzerland and the Netherlands have prompted a review of British practice. It will probably remain somewhat different from continental practice, particularly with respect to long-term supervised injecting, but without adequate funding it may disappear altogether.

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Drug PrescriptionsHealth PolicyHeroinHumansLicensureNarcoticsOpioid-Related DisordersUnited KingdomJournal Article

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Tom Carnwath. Prescribing heroin.. https://doi.org/10.1080/10550490591003549

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