Dutch study claims heroin prescriptions less costly to society.AMSTERDAM -- Researchers at the University of Amsterdam suggest that it is much less costly to society to supply heroin to those who are addicted than to deal with them through the current systems of treatment and criminal prosecution. According to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. a report published in the British Medical Journal The British Medical Journal, or BMJ, is one of the most popular and widely-read peer-reviewed general medical journals in the world.[2] It is published by the BMJ Publishing Group Ltd (owned by the British Medical Association), whose other (June 4, 2005) they recommend heroin prescriptions for addicted persons for whom treatment programs have failed. The study examined 430 persons addicted to heroin who failed to respond to, or comply with, traditional treatment. They found the best results were achieved when heroin and methadone methadone (mĕth`ədōn', –dŏn'), synthetic narcotic similar in effect to morphine. Synthesized in Germany, it came into clinical use after World War II. It is sometimes used as an analgesic and to suppress the cough reflex. , a heroin substitute were prescribed together. They felt that prescribing heroin with methadone was beneficial to society. All of the persons who were the subjects of the study frequently committed illegal activities to buy drugs. But those prescribed both drugs were convicted of fewer crimes. The total net savings to society are estimated at 12,800 [euro] (CAD$19,600) each patient a year. The report states: "The costs of methadone plus heroin were higher than methadone alone, but these higher costs were offset by savings for law enforcement and victim damage. From a societal perspective, supervised medical prescription A medical prescription (℞) is an order (often in written form) by a qualified health care professional to a pharmacist or other therapist for a treatment to be provided to their patient. of methadone plus heroin is less costly than methadone maintenance treatment." The study was commissioned by the Netherlands Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sports The Ministry of Public Health, Wellbeing and Sports (Dutch: Ministerie van Volksgezondheid, Welzijn en Sport; VWS) is the public health authority of the Netherlands. . |
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