Referral to drug misuse clinic

The following criteria are established for referral to the methadone prescribing service.

The individual must be a permanent resident within Berwick/Alnwick area. (Some indication of how long they have been resident would be useful).
The individual must be opiate dependant i.e. be a daily user who is injecting and who experiences significant withdrawal symptoms if their consumption is significantly reduced or discontinued.

Referral should therefore include the following information:

weight
blood pressure
general systems review and the outcome thereof
evidence of injection sites e.g. abscesses, sinuses, venous damage
presence or absence of signs of liver disease
the following blood tests:
- full blood count
- LFT
- U&E
- Recent drug urine screen (done on the premises)
for women, please indicate if pregnant, providing details of expected date of delivery and contact with secondary services.