DO GENERAL-PRACTITIONERS AND GENERAL PSYCHIATRISTS WANT TO LOOK AFTER DRUG MISUSERS - EVALUATION OF A NONSPECIALIST TREATMENT POLICY

TY - JOUR

T1 - DO GENERAL-PRACTITIONERS AND GENERAL PSYCHIATRISTS WANT TO LOOK AFTER DRUG MISUSERS - EVALUATION OF A NONSPECIALIST TREATMENT POLICY

AU - TANTAM, D

AU - DONMALL, M

AU - WEBSTER, A

AU - STRANG, J

PY - 1993/11

Y1 - 1993/11

N2 - A new means of monitoring drug misuse which was developed in the north west of England, but is now widely used throughout the United Kingdom, is described and evaluated. Report forms which had been specially designed and ensured the anonymity of drug misusers were widely distributed among doctors and non-medical health workers who may have had contact with drug misusers. The forms were returned post-free to a centre where they were entered on a customized drug misuse database. There were 2127 reports from the north west of England (population 3.99 million) relating to 1792 individuals over a 15-month period. However, despite intensive promotion of the project among doctors, the number of reports from doctors remained virtually unchanged over the 15 months despite a 33% increase in the overall number of reports. When the reports from three health districts, selected so as to be representative of the region demographically (total population 658500, population aged 15-44 years 292200), were considered there was a substantial fall (70%) in reports from general practitioners which was considerably greater than the 2% fall in all reports. In a linked study all the psychiatrists, 30% of probation officers and a one in six sample of general practitioners from the three selected health districts were approached for interview at the beginning of the 15-month period and again a year later. This structured enquiry about caseloads, treatment, and attitudes also revealed a fall in the number of drug misusers attended by general practitioners and general psychiatrists and a reduction in the services provided for them by general practitioners.These findings raise doubts about the viability of national policies which expect unsupported general practitioners or general psychiatrists to be the first line of treatment for drug misusers.

AB - A new means of monitoring drug misuse which was developed in the north west of England, but is now widely used throughout the United Kingdom, is described and evaluated. Report forms which had been specially designed and ensured the anonymity of drug misusers were widely distributed among doctors and non-medical health workers who may have had contact with drug misusers. The forms were returned post-free to a centre where they were entered on a customized drug misuse database. There were 2127 reports from the north west of England (population 3.99 million) relating to 1792 individuals over a 15-month period. However, despite intensive promotion of the project among doctors, the number of reports from doctors remained virtually unchanged over the 15 months despite a 33% increase in the overall number of reports. When the reports from three health districts, selected so as to be representative of the region demographically (total population 658500, population aged 15-44 years 292200), were considered there was a substantial fall (70%) in reports from general practitioners which was considerably greater than the 2% fall in all reports. In a linked study all the psychiatrists, 30% of probation officers and a one in six sample of general practitioners from the three selected health districts were approached for interview at the beginning of the 15-month period and again a year later. This structured enquiry about caseloads, treatment, and attitudes also revealed a fall in the number of drug misusers attended by general practitioners and general psychiatrists and a reduction in the services provided for them by general practitioners.These findings raise doubts about the viability of national policies which expect unsupported general practitioners or general psychiatrists to be the first line of treatment for drug misusers.

KW - DRUG ABUSE

KW - WORKLOAD

KW - HEALTH SERVICE DELIVERY

KW - GPS ROLE

KW - DOCTORS ATTITUDE

M3 - Article

SN - 0960-1643

VL - 43

SP - 470

EP - 474

JO - British Journal of General Practice

JF - British Journal of General Practice

IS - 376

ER -