We know from several international studies that the basic assumptions of the standard economic model do not apply to the market for illicit drugs.1 The existence of this market has consequences, often violent, for the distributors and buyers engaged in it as well as for the broader community. Earlier this year the nature of the intense rivalry among those involved in the importation and distribution of illicit drugs was underlined by a number of very public violent incidents in Dublin. The seemingly inevitable lethal outcome of disputes among competitors in this market receives a great deal of media attention, including profiles of prominent victims and background stories on how this usually clandestine business operates.
Concerns have been growing globally regarding the misuse of both prescribed and over-the-counter (OTC) codeine, with research showing that both demand for codeine and misuse of OTC codeine have increased. In 2010 the Irish Pharmacy Regulator published guidance for pharmacists on the safe supply of non-prescription codeine-in-combination products to patients.1 This guidance was published following the enactment of the Pharmacy Act 2007 2 and the Regulation of Retail Pharmacy Businesses Regulations 2008.3 The guidance states that these products are to be supplied only as ‘second-line’ medicine for pain-relief treatment.
University College Dublin (UCD) and the Dublin Academic Health Centre (the Mater Hospital and St Vincent’s Hospital) have successfully competed for an EU health care award funded by the Third EU Health Programme, which focuses on implementing the EU health strategy. The successful HepCare Europe project will develop community partnerships for tackling the hepatitis C virus (HCV), which causes significant morbidity and mortality in Ireland and the European Union (EU).
International studies have shown that problem alcohol or drug users have increased mortality rates in comparison to the general population. Mortality rates are further elevated among individuals with serious opiate addictions, and especially among injecting drug users (IDUs). Methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) is shown to reduce the mortality rate for this cohort of problem drug users, but in comparison to the general population MMT patients still have a higher risk of mortality.
