Starting Treatment:
A DSB Drug Worker and a specialist GP, will work in partnership to provide treatment for your opiate dependence. Medication can be prescribed by the doctor, and support is offered by a named Drug Worker. The frequency with which you see a Drug Worker, will be negotiated between you and the Worker.

Drug testing
A drug test will be taken at your first visit with the Drug Worker, to establish what your treatment needs are. We work with people who use opiates (such as Heroin) or stimulants.

Assessment
In order to fully understand your needs, and find the best way of treating you, we need to get some information from you. This information is confidential to DSB, and is kept by DSB, and a copy is given to your doctor. If we need to send it somewhere else, we will ask for your permission. Confidentiality will be fully explained to you, when you first meet your Drug Worker.

Supervised consumption
When you first start medication, it is usual that you will go to the chemist each day to pick up your dose of medication, and take this in front of a pharmacist. This is done for safety reasons. You will start on a specific dose of medication, which may be altered depending on your symptoms, until the right dose for your needs has been established.

When you have stabilised on your dose, you could change to picking up your medication twice a week, and then picking up your medication once a week. The speed of this will vary, as it will depend on your stability. This can be discussed with your Drug Worker, and your GP.

Pharmacies on Needle Exchange as of Dec 2007 PCT,
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