Addicts on a prescription to replace their substance misuse have been sent letters saying they'll no longer be able to get their drugs as of next week.
Plymouth Live understands that around 100 patients registered at Plymouth GPs run by Access Health Care, a subsidiary of Devon Doctors, had letters sent to them this week to say their substance misuse prescriptions will stop on February 18.
A concerned caller said many on the 'blue prescription' would be "frightened and ill" unless something is sorted.
The letter cites that the workload involved in providing the substance misuse prescription is one of the factors behind the service ceasing.
It added that the provider has tried to work with commissioners to make sure there was a "seamless handover", but that they "had not been able to make arrangements for the handover of patients as we would have wished".
Patients were being advised to speak to Plymouth's drug and alcohol treatment service, The Harbour Centre.
What is a 'blue prescription'?
The prescriptions are nicknamed in this way as they're printed on blue paper.
Substance misuse prescriptions are usually for patients who need a substance misuse replacement to help them withdraw from a drug or to keep them stable.
Largely, the drug substitute used is methadone, which is a synthetic opiate used as an alternative to heroin.
Other substitutes which can be administered include buprenorphine (used to treat dependence/addiction to narcotics) and dieazepam.
Doctors and dentists can prescribe controlled medicines to treat illness or injury.
But doctors must hold a licence from the Home Office to prescribe controlled medicines to treat addiction.
Information supplied by Stolton's Pharmacy and NHS England
But now, Access Health Care has said they will continue to provide the service for a further two weeks to allow commissioners to come up with a long-term solution.
The council and Livewell South West are also working with the GPs to come up with an alternative arrangement.
A Plymouth City Council spokesperson said: “Plymouth’s substance misuse services, which include blue prescriptions, are commissioned by our public health team.
“Access Health Care has given notice to patients at its six Plymouth surgeries that it will no longer be providing a blue prescription service.
“We are working with the surgeries and Livewell South West to find alternative prescribers for those affected.
“Access Health Care will be continuing to provide these services up until 1 March and we are confident this will allow enough time to ensure no-one suffers a loss of treatment.”
David Stolton, of Stolton's Pharmacy on West Hoe, explained that a lot of patients on 'blue prescriptions' will have been on them for many years.
"Patients will be very dependent on these medications - if their prescriptions are stopped, many may go back to street drugs. If the medication stops and they do go back onto street drugs they often won't be able to restart their treatment until their blood and urine tests are clear.
"I'm very surprised there's appears not to have been more coordination in sorting this issue.
"Something like this needs a period of maybe a month or six weeks to tailor one service to another.
"It could have a knock-on impact on other services, which are stretched as they are - a lot of the patients [on blue prescriptions] have mental health issues, and it will have implications for these services too."
Statement from Access Health Care in full
Access Health Care's medical director Dr Dean Marshall said: "Access Health Care run a number of GP practices in Plymouth, having taken over practices that had previously handed back their contracts.
"Access Health Care continued to offer an enhanced substance misuse prescribing service for the benefit of 100-plus patients it inherited from the previous provider.
"Substance misuse services are not part of the core contract for services to be provided to patients but rather an additional contract to provide such services as extra services over and above the core contract. Not all practices provide substance misuse services.
"Access Health Care made the decision in November 2018 to concentrate on providing core services for the patients in its practices and gave notice to the commissioners of the substance misuse service, Plymouth City Council.
"There has been a delay on identification of an alternative service that left very little time for a handover of patients from Access Health Care to the provider of the new service.
"In light of the concerns voiced by users of this service, and AHC’s commitment to putting patients first, we have come to an agreement with Plymouth City Council that we will continue to provide the service for a further two weeks, ie until Friday, March 1, allowing the commissioners more time to identify a long-term solution."
The Harbour Centre has been approached for comment.
If you think you have a drug addiction and you need help, you can read NHS advice here.
Do you have a story to share or for us to investigate?
Get in touch using news@plymouthherald.co.uk, call 01752 293100 or tweet @Plymouth_Live
Want to read more?
To keep up to date with Plymouth Live's latest news, follow us on Facebook here and Twitter here , or visit our homepage at www.plymouthlive.com
