A survey of community drug team prescribing policies and client views

Aims and methods: A postal and telephone survey of 140 community drug teams in England and Wales was performed to survey existing prescribing policies for substitute prescriptions, including prevalence of supervised methadone consumption, use of methadone higher doses, injectables and prescribed benzodiazepines. Questionnaires were directed to the prescribing doctor. A second survey involved questionnaires distributed to clients at three community drugs teams in Essex. Participants were asked to comment on various aspects of prescribing policies.Results: Results were obtained from 120 community drug teams (86%) and 104 clients who had received substitute prescribing. Around 22% of teams reported that methadone was supervised in a minority of new patients. Low doses (under 60 mg methadone per day) were rarely used (fewer than 10 patients) in 45% of services. Buprenorphine was prescribed in 97% of services. Fewer than half of community drug teams prescribed benzodiazepines (other than alcohol detoxification...