A COMPARISON OF ATTENDANCE FOR DRUG MISUSE TO DUBLIN ACCIDENT AND EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS 1985-1993

We compared attendance by Drug Misusers to the Accident and Emergency Departments (A&E) in the greater Dublin area during September 1985 and April 1993. The study took the form of a questionnaire administered b y the previously trained A&E staff to attenders who were currently (wi thin the past six months) : experimenting with drugs, abusing drugs or drug dependent. Seventy three drug misusers were identified in Septem ber 1985 and 68 in April 1993. Poly substance misuse,vas a major featu re significant increase in the of the 1993 survey and Benzodiazepines replaced Heroin as the major drug of misuse, There was a st misuse of prescribed opiates, in particular morphine sulphate, methadone and DF1 18. Physical problems associated with drug misuse were more common in 1993 because of the new trend of crushing and injecting the morphine s ulphate tablet, Patients continue to inject drugs and are poor attende rs at needle exchange programmes, We feel that all doctors should exer cise caution in their prescribing habits in view of the alarming incre ase in the misuse of prescribed medication as indicated by our figures .