PUSH TO CURB SEDATIVE ABUSE

A voluntary health initiative to curb the number of 'doctor shoppers'
abusing prescription drugs was launched last night in an effort to tackle
the misuse of sedatives.

The program, which has the backing of peak ACT health groups, aims to
promote the safe and controlled use of benzodiazepines - including
flunitratrazepam, diazepam, oxazepam and temazepam.

Under the scheme, patients and their doctors will voluntarily agree that
benzodiazepines can only be prescribed by one nominated doctor and
dispensed by one nominated pharmacy.

Dr Jo Mazengarb, of the Canberra Hospital's drug and alcohol service, said
if a patient broke a contract, the doctor could refuse to prescribe because
'the patient was not acting in good faith'.

She had been operating such a system on a trial basis with a limited number
of people for the past 18 months with encouraging results.

While the service had treated people with prescription drug problems, the
Health Insurance Commission had isolated an even larger group with the same
problems outside the service.

She said the commission defined a 'doctor shopper' as 'a person who goes to
15 or more doctors in 12 months - and using that criteria they have
isolated 10,500 Australians'. The research had found that the vast majority
where shopping for benzodiazepines.

Dr Mazengarb said the familiar story doctors were often told was that
patients felt anxious, worried or were unable to sleep.

In most cases doctors were unaware that patients were asking several other
practitioners for the same drugs.

'I'm not saying that all doctors have halos but the bulk of them are well
intentioned.

'This system works both ways because it helps doctors feel more confident
about what they're prescribing - and knowing they're not being tricked -
and it helps patients to set limits.'

The program was not aimed at the wider community, which used the drugs
within their limits and for therapeutic reasons, but to people taking
excessive amounts. Some addicts with high tolerance levels took up to a
bottle - 50 tablets - a day.

While the drugs rarely led to an overdose on their own, they were often
involved in overdoses by multiple drug users.

The prevalence of such drugs being sold on the streets further highlighted
the importance of the public health initiative.

Dr Mazengarb said the danger was that doctor shoppers, users themselves,
were selling into the hands of teenagers.

'They sell on the street for the money to fund their activity. It's
relatively cheap - ranging from about $2 to $10 a tablet depending on the
drug.'

ACT Health Minister Michael Moore said there had been concern about
inappropriate prescribing and the adverse effects of the drugs, including
amputations and behavioural disturbances. 'We have evidence from GP surveys
that 10 per cent of the general population use benzodiazepines, that there
is a black market for them [and] . . . that people overdose,' Mr Moore
said.