Drug misuse.

1. Assessment by history and examination should include: a history of all drugs taken during each day for the previous 7 days (including alcohol), length of drug use and route (including the sharing of needles or syringes), the possibility of pregnancy if female, previous psychiatric history and treatment of drug misuse, social factors (including employment, family, friends, involvement in prostitution, legal problems), medical problems, including evidence of hepatitis, injection abscesses and other infections, suicide attempts, and weight loss. 2. Notification to the Chief Medical Officer of the Drug Branch of the Home Office is a legal obligation. 3. Investigations include: liver function tests (LFTs), hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), hepatitis B surface antibody (HBsAb), hepatitis C antibody, full blood count (FBC), and urine for drug screening. Consider HIV testing if at risk but it is usually better arranged at a later stage. 4. Prescribing may be considered for a variety of drugs but objectives will differ according to drug type and individual. 5. In the case of opioid users, prescribing may be useful to stabilize their lives and to promote attendance for professional help. It may reduce high risk behaviour for contracting and spreading HIV. 6. If medication is given to opioid users, methadone mixture 1 mg/ml given once a day is the prescription of choice. Dispensing should be on a daily basis and the blue prescription form FP10 (MDA) allows the chemist to dispense daily for up to 14 days. A maximum ceiling of 100 mg methadone/day should not be exceeded. The initial dose will depend on the amount of opioid consumed in the previous week.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)