Pubdate: Sat, 24 Mar 2001
Source: Australian, The (Australia)
Copyright: 2001 News Limited {YEAR}
Contact:  Box 339 GPO Adelaide, SA 5001
Fax: (08) 8206-3688
Website: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/
Author: John Kerin

NEW DRUG TO STEM HEROIN DEATH TIDE

A REVOLUTIONARY heroin addiction treatment will be made widely available to 
users in a bid to curb an expected wave of overdose deaths.  The heroin 
craving blocker buprenorphine, which is regarded as a vastly superior 
substitute to methadone, has been approved by the Pharmaceutical Benefits 
Advisory Committee to meet an expected new wave of heroin overdose deaths 
following the present heroin drought.

It is expected to be made available cheaply on the country's subsidised 
drug scheme by mid-year.

The decision is the first by the committee since a furore was triggered 
over its independence by the appointment of an industry representative.

Buprenorphine has been used in clinical trials for some time but, from 
Monday, manufacturer Reckitt Bensicker will announce it will be made widely 
available for accredited GPs and treatment programs.

The average cost of the drug is about $8 a patient a day, but this will be 
reduced when it is placed on the scheme. A course of treatment lasts from 
weeks to months. Negotiations on price have yet to be finalised.

One of the country's leading drug research institutions, the University of 
NSW-based National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, last night called for 
an urgent boost to treatment funding to meet an anticipated wave of 
post-heroin drought overdose deaths. "We know there are at least 40,000 
users in NSW and 100,000 nationally, and the dangers of a flood of heroin 
overdoses is very real," senior lecturer Kate Dolan said.

The National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre found in a survey of February 
drug use trends that the heroin drought was forcing users to take greater 
chances with lethal drug cocktails and exposing them to higher risk of 
infection.

While the report welcomes a drop in overdose deaths, it says "if heroin 
supplies return ... forced abstinence has been identified as a significant 
risk factor in overdose".

The Melbourne-based Turning Point Drug and Alcohol Centre's head of 
research, Alison Ritter, said last night that buprenorphine was "far 
superior to existing treatment with methadone".

A study by the centre last year found 86 per cent of addicts given 
buprenorphine completed a detoxification program, compared with 57per cent 
given the standard treatment. She said buprenorphine had fewer side-effects 
and, unlike methadone, blocked the effects of heroin. Its effects also 
lasted longer.

"It would be fantastic if we had this treatment available in time for the 
end of the heroin drought," Dr Ritter said.

"There is a huge risk of a spate of heroin overdose deaths because users 
will have reduced tolerance."
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