Prescribing Heroin: What Is The Evidence?

Prescribing heroin is the first overview of how and why heroin is prescribed in the UK. It brings together research evidence from the UK and elsewhere to provide a comprehensive review of the benefits and drawbacks of heroin prescription. Currently only a small number of UK doctors prescribe heroin. The government is planning a cautious and modest expansion of this treatment. This study considers whether heroin prescription is effective in the short and the long term. It covers: • Reasons given for prescribing heroin and for expanding such treatment; • The history of prescribing heroin and how practice has developed; • The manufacture and use of illicit heroin and its associated risks; • Current approaches to heroin problems in the UK; • The range of services available for heroin users. The study concludes with a summary of the research, clinical, political and practical challenges for expanding heroin prescription.