Drugs Misuse

Statistical Publication Notice

16 December 2008

Drug Misuse Statistics Scotland 2008

INTRODUCTION

This publication is the latest annual compilation of available information on drug misuse. The information is collected from a wide range of national data sources relevant to drug misuse.

There are three main sections:

Services and treatment for drug misuse. This section includes information on individuals presenting to drug treatment services and on prescription statistics.
Health impact of drug misuse. This section includes information on inpatients and day cases discharged from general hospitals, psychiatric inpatient discharges, information from general practice, blood-borne viruses, pregnancy and neonatal discharges and drug-related deaths in Scotland.
Drugs and criminal justice. This section includes information on drug-related offences and court proceedings, criminal justice social work and drug misuse and treatment in Scottish prisons.

Much of the information presented has been published previously by various different organisations. The report publishes for the first time various ISD data including:

2007/08 information from the Scottish Drug Misuse Database (SMR25)
2007/08 information from hospital discharges with a diagnosis of drug misuse (SMR01)
2006/07 information from psychiatric discharges with a diagnosis of drug use (SMR04)
2006/07 information from general practice on drug misuse consultations (Practice Team Information)
2006/07 information from maternity and neonatal discharges recording drug misuse (SMR02, SMR11 and Scottish Birth Record).
2007/08 information from Prescribing Information System on prescriptions for drug misuse

KEY POINTS

In 2007/08, 12,562 'new' individuals were reported to the Scottish Drugs Misuse database (SDMD). This corresponds to a rate of 259 per 100,000 of the Scottish population.
During 2007/08 there were 5,363 general acute hospital discharges with a diagnosis of drug misuse, a rate of 108 discharges per 100,000 population.
In Scotland in 2007/08 there were 492,908 prescriptions for methadone mixture, around 96 prescriptions per 1,000 population.

INTERPRETATION

Figures from the Scottish Drug Misuse Database are presented for 2006/07 and 2007/08. From April 2006 a new data collection form was introduced (SMR25a). Changes to the data collection mean that only the last two years can be prestented and figures are not directly comparable with those published in editions of Drug Misuse Statistics Scotland from 2006 and earlier (see publication for more information).

DETAILED FINDINGS

Scottish Drug Misuse Database

In 2007/08, 12,562 'new' individuals were reported to the Scottish Drugs Misuse database (SDMD). This corresponds to a rate of 259 per 100,000 of the Scottish population.
Sixty-nine percent of 'new' individuals reported to the SDMD were male.
Of those reporting illicit drug use, 69% reported using heroin (7,047 individuals).
Over half (56%) of those under the age of 25 years old reporting illicit drug use reported using heroin.
Twenty-nine per cent of all individuals (for whom information is available) reported that they had injected in the month prior to seeking treatment. Forty-four per cent reported that they had never injected.
Nineteen per cent of current injectors reported that they had shared needles/ syringes in the previous month.
Of individuals reported to have injected in the past, 68% reported that they had been tested for Hepatitis B; 69% for Hepatitis C and 66% for HIV prior to seeking treatment.

Hospital discharges with a diagnosis of drug misuse

During 2007/08 there were 5,363 general acute hospital discharges with a diagnosis of drug misuse, a rate of 108 discharges per 100,000 population.
There has been an overall increase in the rate of discharges with a diagnosis of drug misuse in the last five years. From 91 discharges per 100,000 population in both 2003/04 and 2004/05 to 89 in 2005/06 and rising to 108 per 100,000 population in 2007/08

Psychiatric hospital discharges with a diagnosis of drug misuse

In 2006/07 there were 25,349 psychiatric discharges in Scotland, of which 1,398 (6%) had a diagnosis of drug misuse (a rate of 29 discharges per 100,000 population).
There has been little change in the rate of psychiatric discharges with either a main or supplementary diagnosis of drug misuse between 2002/03 and 2006/07 (fluctuating between a maximum of 38 per 100,000 population and a minimum of 29 per 100,000 population)

Information from general practice on drug misuse consultations

In 2006/07, around 1% (148,050) of the estimated 15,058,800 consultations (face-to-face contacts) between patients and General Practitioners (GPs) related to drug misuse.
Of the estimated number of drug misuse GP consultations, 69% were by patients in the two most deprived categories and almost half were in the most deprived category. Among non-drug misuse GP consultations, 43% were in the two most deprived categories, although these were split almost evenly between the two most deprived categories

Maternity and neonatal discharges

In 2006/07 there were 566 maternities for which drug misuse was recorded, a rate of 10.4 per 1,000 maternities
Opioids were recorded in 65% (370) of the maternities for which drug misuse was recorded. Other drugs recorded were cannabinoids in 29% (162) and sedatives in 11% (60)

Prescription statistics relating to drug misuse

In Scotland in 2007/08 there were 492,908 prescriptions for methadone mixture, around 96 prescriptions per 1,000 population. Individuals may have more than one prescription over the year therefore the number of prescriptions is not indicative of the number of individuals.
The cost of dispensing methadone mixture (dispensing fees and ingredients) for Scotland in 2007/08 was £15,227,001, around £2,960 per 1,000 population.
Methadone prescribing rates have risen by 26% over the last five years, from 76 prescriptions per 1,000 population in 2003/04 to 96 prescriptions per 1,000 population in 2007/08.

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