UK heroin trial publishes results

The recent trial of heroin prescribing at the Institute of Psychiatry published its results last week in an article in the prestigious medical journal The Lancet. They provide significant new evidence as to the effectiveness of providing diamorphine ( pure medicinal heroin) to those who have derived little benefit from orthodox, methadone-based treatment. The primary measure used was abstinence from street heroin, and, unlike many similar trials, this was calculated by urine testing rather than by reliance on the client’s word. The trial tested the effectiveness of injectable heroin, given in daily doses under clinical supervision, against both injectable and oral methadone, all strands receiving counselling and social support services. While all clients showed improvement, it was found that injectable heroin was significantly more effective in terms of reducing use of street heroin. The researchers conclude that, “In the past 15 years, six randomised trials have all reported benefits from treatment with injectable heroin compared with oral methadone. Supervised injectable heroin should now be provided, with close monitoring, for carefully selected chronic heroin addicts in the UK.”
While recognising the controversial nature of addiction therapies, Release hopes that the new government will act upon the substantial and growing evidence base in support of heroin assisted treatment and make this option more widely available for those in clinical need.

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