23 August 2012 Paul Anderson - Addiction and Methadone

At last week's meeting of the Rotary Club of Bridge of Allan and Dunblane, members were given a sobering insight into the use of methadone. Member, Paul Anderson gave his talk from a pharmacist's perspective and started with some disturbing facts that in last year there were record levels of deaths linked to alcohol and drug use; of the nearly 600 deaths, almost half were linked to the heroin and morphine substitute, methadone.

Paul outlined the history of methadone as a painkiller which became popular in the '90's for treating heroin addicts in an attempt to reduce incidence of blood borne diseases and criminal activity and improve social aspects caused by drug misuse.

Treatment was sometimes voluntary or by Court Order and was intended to stabilise the person by adjusting the dosage to an appropriate level before attempting to remove dependence on other drugs and then gradually reduce usage altogether. Paul cited examples of addicts who were unable or unwilling to try to kick their habit and who played the system but in other cases, people who did became much more communicative and sociable. His view was that the Methadone programme can work if properly monitored and challenged and was not just allowed to perpetuate an addicts dependence. In some countries, there was no such programme available and 'cold turkey' was the only option. He did not consider this would be practical and could be a very expensive option to implement. 

After fielding many questions, Paul was thanked for his talk by Eric Abell.