The Health Service Executive (HSE) has asked Prof Joe Barry, Professor of Population Health Medicine at TCD, to work with Prof Michael Farrell, Professor of Addiction Psychiatry and Director of Postgraduate Medical Education in the Institute of Psychiatry London, on a review of the current methadone treatment protocol.
The National Drugs Strategy requires that this review take place to “maximise the provision of treatment, to facilitate appropriate progression pathways (including exit from methadone treatment where appropriate) and to encourage engagement with services.”
The review will include engagement with the community and voluntary sectors, Irish Medical Times understands.
The exercise will look at the provision of treatment, including detoxification, stabilisation and rehabilitation. It will also consider clinical governance and audit, referral pathways, enrolment of GPs in the methadone maintenance scheme and the training of family doctors in methadone maintenance therapy.
The review will also consider the appropriateness and efficacy of urinalysis testing.
The Department of Justice will be consulted with regard to the prescribing of methadone in Garda stations.
Those interested in sending in submissions can do so by forwarding their views, by no later than June 30, to email: methadone.review@hse.ie; or by post:
C/o HSE, Mill Lane, Palmerstown, Dublin 20.
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