SAFER IMPLANTS

METHADONE can hardly be said to be a treatment for opiate addiction.
It is a highly addictive opiate which merely consolidates and
perpetuates the addiction.

The refrain I hear repeatedly from clients at Dr O'Neil's naltrexone
clinic is: "I am fed up to the teeth with this life on heroin or
methadone and I will do anything to get off." Psychological
counselling is provided before and after the detox treatment and
clients are warned repeatedly that their tolerance will be zero if
they stop naltrexone.

Dr Fellows-Smith acknowledges that the use of naltrexone implants is a
way to reduce non-compliance with oral naltrexone and Dr O'Neil's
development of these implants is a major innovation. With the 180
patients implanted so far there have been no overdoses or deaths.

Dr W. M. HATTON, medical officer, Perth Naltrexone Clinic, Subiaco.