Is SWIMS G.P obliged to help?

[calmurphy17]

A good bit of time ago SWIM went to his G.P to seek help for his H addiction. (as advised by his local drug services) The g.p put in referalls to the drug services for a) a lofexidine detox-which SWIM already knew he wasnt eligible for as he injects and b) methadone maintenance-which he never heard anymore about as it is a sham.However he then learned by way of one of the advisors that the g.p can prescribe as well to help you (round here they try and make you believe that you can only get substitute prescribing of any nature through drug/mental health services) SWIM never went back to g.p as he was disillusioned about the lack of help he recieved but he really wants some help to kick the gear and plans on a g.p visit soon, the Q is does the g.p HAVE to help?seen as SWIM is not eligable for any of the drug services programs.If SWIM stands his ground and makes iut clear he wants off the kit is the doc obliged to write a script?whether its for meth/DF's/whatever.Its not a scam, SWIM genuinely wants help-he thinks he should make that clear...?This is in Scotchland by the way...

[beena]

Well, SWIM can only write and tell SWIY what she knows about treatment in England and that is this:
There are very few doctors (GPs) that are able to prescribe methadone - I think that is because they have to have a separate licence to do so or something - so no, few doctors will give out methadone. They may be able to offer valium or another benzo to provide minimum relief: they do at least help with the insomnia if SWIY was to go cold turkey.
SWIM would imagine that SWIYs best bet would be to do what SWIM did when she decided to seek medical treatment and that is to go to a drop-in drug clinic where they can usually do an assessment there and then on the day, which involves talking to SWIY about SWIY's drug use, taking a urine sample to test and ensure SWIY is what SWIY says he is (ie. addicted to opiates) and then SWIY will probably need to go back a week later where they may test SWIY again and will then give SWIY his first dose of methadone. SWIY can expect to need to continue using and 'topping up' on the methadone they give out for at least the first couple of weeks though as they never prescribe enough to begin with.
Good luck whatever SWIY decides. SWIM is also planning on getting clean soon.

[AvidFan]

Patient X doesn't know much about GP's but knows good ones are hard to find (he is still waiting for bereavement counselling some 15 months after his dad died - several visits and broken promises ensued, so he thought fuck it in the end and that was probably the start of his descent into self-medicated opiate addiction hell)

But Patient X hopes SWICalmurphy gets the help he needs or does it some other way.

And also hopes SWIBeena is doing OK.

Patient X is riding high just now - without opiates. It can be done. It can. Best of luck

[moda00]

As others have said, they are not obligated to do anything, and going through a service or clinic that specializes in addiction is likely the only feasible way to get this kind of help. One of the problems as I see it is that they are likely to require a lot of hoop-jumping, but once you are in a bad enough place, you will do it. That said, it could be different in different countries, obviously.

Now in my country, going through a drug/alcohol service will get you into outpatient/group meetings as well as the option to meet with a physician specializing in suboxone- I suppose you don't have the latter over there?? Here, we have methadone clinics separate from the suboxone clinics or the outpatient AODA service providers, but I'm not sure how it works there. Personally I would say methadone may be one's best option, but based on my knowledge of the laws and such, one is not going to have that option from a GP, and will have to go to a clinic. I realize that life would be hundreds of times more simple if one could go to the doc like a normal human being/patient and get a prescription like one would do for anything else, but the laws simply do not facilitate that kind of ease of access to MMT.

If this is one's first time trying to get off the opiates, and one is an IV user, one could consider doing a methadone detox (rather than a long term maintenance regimen) to start out, and hopefully accompany the pharmacological treatment with some individual or group therapy and lifestyle changes to cement the lifestyle of recovery. Here, the methadone clinics offer both detox and maintenance. But yeah, like I said, I do recommend trying a methadone detox firstdesite some (or if you are so inclined and the option is there, a cold turkey detox with assistance from clonidine and/or benzodiazepines) but if that fails, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend ongoing methadone maintenance through a clinic, if it's between that and staying stuck in iv drug addiction.. negative opinions, I see it like this- quality of life and ability to maintain abstinence are the most important facets of recovery, and if ongoing MMT is what an individual patient needs to make it happen, then it's worth it (has been for swim, at least).

Hope that helps somewhat, and do look into an addiction specialist or service and let us know what they say!