disappointed, I did want to say how
much I enjoyed the coverage in the
special issue of the magazine and
watching the video from the sessions
on your website.
It was great to see and read about
so many familiar faces from previous
years events like the SURF group
from Somerset, BADSUF and Iain
‘Buff’ Cameron. Next year I will make
sure I am there again in person.
Simon Knight, by email
DDN replies: We’re glad you enjoyed
the special issue Simon. We are
currently looking at venues for next
year’s event; we were pleased with
the NEC but are looking at all our
options. If anyone has any feedback
on the venue or the conference
itself, please email
info@cjwellings.com
As soon as we have a place and a
time for the next one we will let you
know!
ABSOLUTE TRAVESTY
I was saddened to read John
Jotcham’s Soapbox (DDN, March,
page 28) on the demise of
Walsingham House, with all its caring
work. The decision to close the rehab
is unbelievable, particularly as we are
desperately short of resources and
expertise to treat dual diagnosis. How
this shocking sequence of events was
allowed to take its course is
astonishing in the face of the
service’s successful completions.
We are constantly reminded that
the Care Quality Commission (CQC)
isn’t doing its job very well and a
barrage of criticism has forced chief
executive Cynthia Bower to resign –
too late for Walsingham House. CQC
staff have admitted that the
commission was in disarray as they
were asked to take on too much work
and felt out of their depth, without
proper leadership or strategy.
Why were the commission’s
decisions allowed to stand when 15
years of dedication and expertise
from Walsingham House were swept
away within four months? And do the
testimonies of those whose lives they
saved count for nothing?
I was worried about the outlook for
drug and alcohol services before I
read this article. Now I am terrified.
Linda Bradley, by email
GOING DOWN?
I remember the good old days when
every £1 spent on treatment saved
£9.50. I noticed with dismay in your
last issue an NTA advert proudly
proclaiming that it now only saves
£2.50! How can this be? Why has
there been a 75 per cent reduction in
the amount saved in less than two
years?
Are drug treatment staff only
working a quarter as hard as they
used to, has treatment been so
successful that there is hardly anyone
left needing to access it, or was the
original figure purely an invented
headline with good intentions but no
basis in fact?
I would be very interested in the
NTA’s opinion on what has changed
so much in the last two years or to
hear them admit that the original
figure was simply wrong and had no
evidence to back it.
Pat Trowbridge, by email
RESIDENTIAL REHAB
DIRECTORY
The May issue of DDN will contain the
updated residential rehabilitation
directory. The directory provides an at-
a-glance guide to the UK’s residential
facilities and lists their contact details
as well as providing a snapshot of the
services they provide. Our last update
is available on the getting help page
of www.drinkanddrugsnews.com
If you run a residential service,
please check that you are listed and
that your details are correct. If you have
any changes to make please email
them to directories@cjwellings.com by
Friday 20 April.
The directory also includes
enhanced entries which, for a small
fee, offer the opportunity to fully
explain the range of services you
provide. To find out more please
contact me.
Ian Ralph, DDN
Email ian@cjwellings.com
or call 020 7463 2081
We welcome your letters...
Please email them to the editor, claire@cjwellings.com or post them
to the address on page 3. Letters may be edited for space or clarity –
please limit submissions to 350 words.
Letters |
Post-its
April 2012 |
drinkanddrugsnews
| 11
www.drinkanddrugsnews.com
Ahmed, one of my local pharmacists, rang the other
day
to say, ‘Chris, don’t forget to alter the scripts for
the upcoming Easter bank holidays. We are open on
the Saturday, but I hear several pharmacies are closed
on the Saturday as well.’ I thanked him for the
important reminder as it would affect so many
prescriptions and we then went on to discuss several
of our joint patients: Jack who is doing so well, Jean
who is still struggling with her anxiety but ‘enjoys
going into the pharmacy’ daily, and others.
The conversation reminded me again how lucky I
am in Kilburn having at least five excellent
pharmacies very close. The pharmacist is a key
individual in drug treatment being successful, but the counter staff are also
essential to make the pharmacy a welcoming place without stigma. The
pharmacist sees our patients much more frequently than I do and often, like Jean,
on a daily basis. She often remarks that Ahmed is her main support worker. She
feels he cares and never judges, even when her time-keeping is not the best! He
also doesn’t judge when she occasionally asks for a clean needle and syringe, but
does advice her on overdose prevention. Ahmed was the reason Jean came to us
for treatment in the first place. It had taken her a while, as her previous
experiences had been poor, but she has now been with us for nearly a year and
the changes have been dramatic. Ahmed commented how rewarding it was to
have seen these changes and to have been part of them. ‘Jean even smiles when
she comes in now!’
Ahmed and his local colleagues are also a crucial part of the team that keeps
people in treatment when things are not going so well. Jack, mentioned in our
call, was currently doing well, but this hadn’t been the case until recently. He was
missing pick-ups, presenting after drinking or having used other drugs. For the
first few weeks it felt as if we were always on the phone to each other as he had
missed one, two or more days. But Ahmed never gave up, never got angry,
reminded him about loss of tolerance and overdose risk, and kept sending him
back to me until he stabilised.
Pharmacists are also extremely helpful with drug interactions with prescribed
and over-the-counter medications and doses. Most of the time, I think I get
prescriptions right but I feel reassured that there is another good check before it
is dispensed. We always ring the pharmacist before sending a new patient, as it’s
good to start that relationship. I view them as part of the team, and not just
someone who dispenses the medication.
They, as with GPs, need to work within their professional guidelines and
occasionally they need to remind us of those. The pharmacy contract, which came
into effect in England in 2005, enabled pharmacists to potentially play an even
greater role in the treatment of people who use drugs, as historically the
community pharmacist has been an underused resource. These changes and
improved training has supported more pharmacists to become involved, which
can only benefit patients, GPs and other healthcare providers.
I couldn’t work without my ‘vital partners’ the pharmacists and feel incredibly
fortunate that I have so many good ones around. I also know this is not unique,
as having to transfer two patients recently to other areas it was easier to find a
friendly pharmacist than a friendly drug service!
A big thank you to all the community pharmacists as I sing praises to you, so
often the unsung heroes and an essential part of the drug and alcohol treatment
system. We couldn’t do it without you.
Dr Chris Ford is a GP at Lonsdale Medical Centre, clinical director for IDHDP and
a member of the board of SMMGP www.smmgp.org.uk
Post-its from Practice
Unsung heroes
Local pharmacists are vital partners in drug
and alcohol treatment, says Dr Chris Ford
p10-11 Enterprise Letters Post-its_p08-09 30/03/2012 22:17 Page 11