Methadone Prescription

EDM number 1118 in 1995-96, proposed by Ken Livingstone on 08/07/1996.

That this House deplores the behaviour of a pharmacist and a number of private general practitioners who, by their actions, are encouraging drug addicts to deal in prescribed drugs in the North Paddington area; notes that as recently as January this year, Doctors Garfoot, Grobler, Flindell, Onen and Marks were prescribing doses of between 200 and 500mg. daily of injectable methadone, together with a cocktail of other drugs to addicts living in central London and as far away as Portsmouth; notes that the pharmacist involved, E. Maguire, Chemist in Shirland Road, London W.9, is prepared to dispense controlled durgs at these levels and offer credit to addicts requiring it; further notes that whilst prescribing and dispensing at these levels is not in itself illegal, it is clear that the sale of excess drugs isbeing facilitated by these practices; and calls upon the General Medical Council urgently to review the practice of dispensing controlled drugs in these quantities and upon the Royal Pharmaceutical Socie ty urgently to review its Code of Ethics to curb the practices pharmacists in relation to the dispensing of controlled drugs.

This motion has been signed by a total of 14 MPs.