Prescribing - silly system.

Last week I had cause to re-visit an old client, just to see how things were going. On my previous visit about a month previously, things were a bit chaotic, the flat was a mess and my client and her partner were clearly not getting on.

Well what a difference. The flat was spotless, they were laughing and happy and in the middle of redecorating the flat. I asked what had happened to create such a big change was was told that the partner was now on a methadone script and they had stopped buying drugs. They were going out together, had more money and were happy for the first time in, well years.

In my neck of the woods it can take months and months before you are seen by a medic, the waiting list for methadone is very long, 10 months is not uncommon, and often clients are told that the list is closed. People who are desperate to change and who are ready to change are often unable to make the changes they want to make because of lack of support.

We do have a Drug Intervention Programme (DIP) designed for people who are offending, they can assess and prescribe very quickly, whereas for people who are not offending there is often nothing available.

My client had heard about this, she went into town and robbed a shop then stood outside and waited to be arrested so that she would be eligible for support from the DIP. She had a prescription within a couple of days and is now - again - non-offending and drug free.