Drug users abusing methadone system

Drug-takers are abusing the very system that is trying to help them, according to Masterton chemist Wayne Fuller, who has been dispensing methadone to hard users trying to kick the drug habit for 20 years.
Mr Fuller said about 10 per cent of the methadone he hands out to recovering drug users actually get sold on the street, is used inappropriately by taking the doses all at once, or injected to get a better 'high'.
"There has always been the risk of diversion of the drug, but it is becoming increasing obvious more is getting out onto the streets illegally or being used incorrectly".
This is suspected because of the number of 'stories' that are told to pharmacists by the methadone users, when asking for extra supplies.
Mr Fuller said many say they have lost their takeaway doses ? "leaky tops is a regular reason."
Methadone is normally issued daily and taken in the pharmacy with "takeaways" handed out for weekend and public holidays and if people can't get into the pharmacy several doses can be handed out at once.
After a weekend, some have either taken all their doses together, or on-sold the methadone.
On Monday morning they appear at the pharmacy obviously suffering withdrawal, being agitated and dehydrated.
Chemists are encouraged to make the person have a drink of water after their methadone dose, to ensure they are not storing it in their mouth. But there is little they can do about policing the additional doses going out.
Methadone is a synthetic opioid, used to replace illicit street opiates such as heroin.
It is issued by chemists to drug users involved in the weaning programme run by the Drug and Rehabilitation Centre in Masterton.
The methadone treatment was first introduced in the early 1960s in the United States and first used in New Zealand in 1970.
In Wairarapa there are around 100 people getting methadone doses from chemists.
Money to run the methadone schemes is given to District Health Boards for allocation. In Wairarapa, the programme receives $207,000 (not including the cost of the methadone or dispensing fees), which is part of the $7.5million Mental Health Services budget.
Mr Fuller said the methadone treatment programme is a good one but need stronger policing as the prevalence of drug use increases.
He said the programme is based more on harm reduction, than drug rehabilitation.
"If the programme was not in place these people would need to get their drugs illegally, usually raising the money by crime.
"If we are lucky, we may see about two people a year actually going off drugs altogether, the rest of the time it's simply giving them a stable lifestyle".
A spokesman for South Wairarapa pharmacies, Stuart Stubbs says the methadone programme in his area appears to be more solid, with little abuse of the doses.
There are 16 people on the programme in Carterton and three in Featherston, "all very stable people with 80 per cent in full-time employment".
Meantime, with the departure of former Team Leader Naomi Wickens, it appears the Methadone programme is under the microscope in Wairarapa, and the Drug and Rehabilitation centre in Victoria Street, Masterton is planning changes to ensure less abuse of the methadone service.