§ Paul FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the calculated weekly cost of drug treatment programmes, using(a) injectable heroin, (b) oral heroin,(c)injectable methadone and (d) oral methadone. [19715]
§ Ms BlearsThe infonnation requested is not available centrally. However, the table gives all prices for the various methadone and heroin products that appear in the drug tariff and which may be used in drug treatment programmes.
621W
Prices for methadone and diamorphine products used to price prescriptions dispensed in November 2001 Generic-Drug tariff Product Pack size Price of pack (£) Brand Physeptone (£) Methadone mixt 1mg/lml sugar free 500ml 7.25 7.25 Methadone tab BP 5mg 50 2.97 2.97
§ Paul FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment has been made of the use of naltrexone in drug treatment programmes for heroin addicts. [19714]
§ Ms BlearsThe expert group that produced the Department's guidelines "Drug misuse and dependence—guidelines on clinical management" (1999) reviewed the evidence for the use of naltrexone in drug treatment programmes for heroin addicts. The group concluded that because of the uncomfortable or severe opiate withdrawal symptoms if taken by an individual dependent on an opiate, naltrexone-assisted relapse prevention should be initiated only by specialists and specialised generalists experienced in this technique. More work needs to be undertaken before firm conclusions can be reached regarding how appropriate it is to use naltrexone within a community setting.