CHEMISTS TO BECOME DRUG CLINICS

EVERY third chemist shop in Sydney will become a methadone
distribution centre under government plans to disperse the "honeypot"
effect of drug clinics through the suburbs.

More than 30 existing methadone clinics will be closed and replaced by
suburban pharmacists who will hand out the drug to addicts. Methadone
is used to help wean addicts off their heroin habit.

To meet the demand from thousands of addicts the number of pharmacists
handing out methadone will have to rise by 60 per cent to around 500
shops - a third of the 1,500 chemist shops in NSW.

The spreading of the methadone program throughout the community is the
next major stage in the NSW Government's battle against drugs stemming
from last year's Drug Summit.

Addicts on methadone will be more strongly monitored to make sure they
go through with programs to get them off drugs.

Drug clinics have been attacked as "honeypots", attracting drug
addicts and dealers to the areas where they are located. But the
Government hopes adding hundreds of chemists to the methadone
distribution program will dilute that effect throughout the suburbs.

Instead of large numbers of addicts going to clinics, each pharmacist
or local doctor will have a small number of methadone addicts to deal
with and monitor.

The Health Department is working out details of the expanded scheme
with the Pharmacy Guild.

Special Minister of State John Della Bosca is expected to announce
details of the program by the end of this month.

Up to $5.5 million is to be spent enticing pharmacists into the scheme
with payments and training.

Eventually more than $49 million will be spent tightening up methadone
services and numbers of addicts on the methadone program will rise
from 3,500 to more than 5,000.

More pharmacists will also be handing out safe disposal needle packs
to addicts to reduce the risk to the community of needle-stick injury.

Pharmacists will deal mainly with stable methadone users, many of whom
might have a job and a family life and are getting themselves off drugs.

Clinics will still take methadone addicts who are unstable and need
closer supervision and counselling.

"Methadone is a program to get people off more harmful drugs, but it
is mostly a crime prevention initiative for the community," Mr Della
Bosca said.

Methadone is seen as the best way to stem criminal and antisocial
behaviour associated with drug addiction.

As the Kings Cross injecting room trial gets closer to opening, the
Government will launch several other major changes agreed upon at the
Drug Summit.

This week the first cheques will go out from the $176 million boost in
anti-drug programs from the Drug Summit.

Mr Della Bosca said $14 million will go to 17 area health services
across the State this week to provide eight extra nurses, seven
detoxification teams to visit addicts at home and new detox facilities
in the central coast and Wentworth areas.