THE Scottish Government has agreed to develop a national emergency plan to handle infections spread through contaminated drugs after two deadly outbreaks among users.
Under the proposed plan, health services, drug agencies and others such as homelessness projects will have a co-ordinated strategy to handle future outbreaks. This could include better channels for communicating information to field workers and to drug users themselves, and better ways of collecting data on a developing crisis.
However, it is unlikely to conclude that prescribing pharmaceutical heroin, when street supplies may be contaminated, would be practical.
Between 2000 and 2001, at least 20 drug users died across Scotland as a result of contracting Clostridium novyi while injecting heroin. In 15 of the cases, drug users were affected by the "flesh-eating" condition necrotising fasciitis, caused by the infection.
Between 2009 and 2010, a second spate of deaths among Scottish heroin users was attributed to an outbreak of anthrax, with 13 dying after injecting drugs from a contaminated batch. Thought to have come from Afghanistan or Pakistan originally, the drugs had been contaminated in Turkey, probably after being concealed in a goatskin.
Following the publication in December last year of a report on the anthrax cases, the Scottish Government said it would learn from the outbreak in terms of diagnosis, treatment, prevention and research.
Now, it is to ask health chiefs to take the lead in developing an emergency plan after the idea was suggested by the Scottish Drugs Forum.
Public Health Minister Michael Matheson said he was persuaded of the need for a scheme to "ensure an adequate response to future outbreaks of infection amongst drug users ... such a plan should identify key roles and responsibilities and actions for partner organisations".
He added: "I am supportive of this proposal and I have asked Health Protection Scotland to lead on the development of such a plan."
David Liddell, director of Scottish Drugs Forum, said he welcomed the Government's willingness to take a lead in protecting a group of people often marginalised in society.
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