Study shows benefits of supervised heroin use for chronic users

A new study from the UK’s National Addiction Centre, led by Dr. John Strang, suggests that the supervised prescription of heroin for chronic users of the drug is more effective than methadone in reducing use of street heroin.  

Scientists from the UK and Australia carried out a randomized control trial comparing 127 chronic heroin users prescribed either methadone or supervised injectable heroin.  The aim of the study was to observe how these treatments affected the amount of street heroin that participants continued to use.  The continued use of street heroin is a common problem among highly dependent users enrolled in conventional drug treatment.

While only 27% of those enrolled in methadone maintenance treatment achieved reduced levels of street heroin use, 72% of those prescribed supervised injectable heroin did not use street heroin and had higher levels of treatment retention.  These findings have strong implications for the reduction of heroin dependence among users that do not respond to conventional therapies like methadone maintenance treatment.

Previous studies have shown that prescribed heroin is effective in reducing street drug use and criminal activity among highly dependent users.  These latest findings confirm that heroin prescription should be considered as a second-line therapy for those drug users that do not respond to other treatment options such as methadone.

Read findings from the study or listen to a podcast with the study’s lead author.

You can also read a commentary on the study by Dr. Thomas Kerr, Technical Advisor in the ICSDP Scientific Network.