Glasgow is stepping up prescriptions of a “positive” drug as an alternative to methadone for people battling heroin addiction.
Buvidal is being prescribed to 700 people and has been hailed as successful in supporting recovery.
It can be taken by injection once every 28 days compared to methadone which is administered daily.
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An NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde spokesman said: “Buvidal was first piloted in Glasgow in March 2019. It is now being prescribed, in line with national guidance, to more than 700 people and has been shown to be successful in supporting them in their recovery as they reduce and stop their use of opiates.”
A recent report presented to Glasgow's Integration Joint Board said there has been an increase in "prescribing activity around Buvidal.”
A 2021 “positive” report on the use of the drug in Scottish prisons said “high levels of satisfaction about Buvidal were reported by almost all patients.”
At the time drugs policy minister Angela Constance said the opioid substitute “resulted in positive changes in people’s emotional wellbeing, leading to positive lifestyle changes.”
The report said the medicine appeared to alleviate cravings and lessen “drug seeking behaviour” drastically cutting illegal substance use.
The number of drug deaths recorded in Scotland in 2021 totalled 1,330.
Nine fewer people died of drug misuse compared to the previous year according to the National Records of Scotland.
However, Scotland continues to have the highest drug death rate recorded by any country in Europe.
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