Behavioural Patterns of Drug Users In Highland

4.6. Treatment for drug use

Most injectors (65, 85.5%) had received treatment or help for their drug use at some time: 29 (38.2%) had received treatment in the past and 36 (47.4%) were receiving some form of treatment for their drug use at the time of interview. Table 9 gives details of the types of treatment for the 36 currently in treatment at the time of interview.

Total N = 36 note: respondents could be receiving more than one type of treatment

Methadone was the type of treatment most commonly received by those injectors in treatment at the time of interview with methadone detoxification and maintenance accounting for 25 of respondents.

Those receiving a prescription for methadone were asked further questions about their methadone treatment. The following refers those who were receiving either methadone detoxification or methadone maintenance. One respondent gave no response.

The mean daily dose was 41.4ml, and the mean length of use of methadone was 16.5 months. When asked if the dose they were receiving was adequate, 9 respondents replied that it was adequate, 15 that it was not adequate and one did not know. Twenty-one respondents received a supervised methadone prescription and 4 were unsupervised. Three respondents were receiving an increasing dose, 4 a decreasing dose and 18 reported a stable dose.