Pubdate: Fri, 22 Jan 2010
Source: Vancouver Courier (CN BC)
Copyright: 2010 Vancouver Courier
Contact:  http://www.vancourier.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/474
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v10/n043/a10.html
Author: Dr. Perry Kendall

PRESCRIBED HEROIN TRIALS MAKE SENSE

To the editor:

A couple of points Mark Hasiuk missed in his column, which readers
need to be aware of before making up their minds.

Firstly, NAOMI clearly demonstrated that prescribed heroin within a
treatment setting is more effective for refractory heroin addiction
than is the current gold standard of treatment--methadone.

SALOME is the next step in clinical trials of refractory chronic,
treatment-resistant opioid dependence. It seeks to answer the question
of whether a relatively non-controversial, relatively clinically
accessible drug (dilaudid) in fact offers the same therapeutic benefit
as dihydromorphone (heroin).

This seems eminently sensible to me.

Dr. Perry Kendall,

B.C. Ministry of Health 
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake