Poor prescribing ‘leading to black market sale of drugs’

POOR prescribing practice among some GPs is leading to the sale of methadone and benzodiazepines on the black market, according to a leading drugs treatment doctor.

The ease of robbing and copying private practice prescriptions remains a major problem, according to Dr Pat Troy, who works in drug clinics in Ballyfermot and St Steeven's Hospital in Dublin, and St Dympna's Drug Treatment Clinic in Carlow.

It meant addicts could easily visit 10 different pharmacies in the absence of a national IT system to monitor private scripts, he said.

"There is less of a problem than there used to be with GPs giving scripts on demand, but it can be very lucrative getting hold of a benzodiazepine prescription. There are some areas where there are less services and GPs are put under pressure to prescribe these... intimidation exists, particularly among addicts," Dr Troy said in an interview in the Irish Medical News.

"Benzos" could be sold on the streets for €1 to €2 per tablet "and you get behavioural shifts and people become very dangerous and have immediate mood swings", he said

"Benzos" are used mainly as tranquilisers for the control of symptoms due to anxiety or stress and as a sleeping aid for insomnia.

An expert report launched by the Department of Health in 2002 recommended prescriptions for "benzos" be monitored and legislation is being prepared to allow this happen.

In the case of heroine, there was a problem with some GPs failing to state on prescriptions that the addict should attend the participating treatment pharmacy at least twice a week for supervised consumption of methadone. This could leave the addict in possession of excess methadone to sell, he said.

Dr Troy said no part of the country had escaped the scourge of drugs.

"This can be the smallest of areas crossroads.all you need is one bad egg and he'll supply the area and travel to Dublin and transport it down."