ADDICT IMPLANT BAN

THE Medical Board of Queensland has ordered controversial Brisbane
doctor Stuart Reece to stop using naltrexone implants in his treatment
of heroin addicts. At a special meeting on Tuesday, the board decided
to impose conditions on Dr Reece's registration as a medical
practitioner.

The board, acting under the Health Practitioners Act, "reasonably
believes that he poses an imminent threat to the well-being of
vulnerable persons and that immediate action is necessary to protect
the vulnerable persons".

The special conditions imposed on Dr Reece include that he must not
insert any further naltrexone implants in any patients, and the board
may enter Dr Reece's practice at any time to conduct an inspection.

Dr Reece, who was unavailable for comment last night, can appeal
against the board's decision.

The Medical Board of Queensland's investigation was requested by
Health Minister Wendy Edmond.

Naltrexone is a prescription drug which blocks the effects of heroin
when addicts shoot up, but leaves them more vulnerable to overdose and
death if they relapse.

The Courier-Mail recently raised concerns about Dr Reece's work and
found that there had been a minimum of 24 deaths among almost 850
patients Dr Reece had treated since July 1998.

The makers of naltrexone implants have stopped production.