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EDUCATION AND DEBATE: John Strang and Rudi Fortson Supervised fixing rooms, supervised injectable maintenance clinics—understanding the difference BMJ 2004; 328: 102-103 [Full text]

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Medically Supervised Injecting Rooms Work

Dr Raymond C Seidler   (14 January 2004)

Medically Supervised Injecting Rooms Work 14 January 2004
Dr Raymond C Seidler, GP Addiction Medicine Kings cross NSW 2011 Send response to journal: Re: Medically Supervised Injecting Rooms Work	Dr Strang has it wrong. In Sydney I work as a GP with a special interest in addiction medicine, 400 meters from the Medically Supervised Injecting Centre [MSIC]. Since the safe room has opened incidence of overdose has dropped substantially in the street and small hotels where they were commonplace. Many users avail themselves of the centre which provides clean injecting equipment and counselling if requested plus referral to treatment. I have had at least 10 referrals for treatment with Buprenorphine or methadone. These patients would not have optherwise entered tretment but for the ministartions of a dedicated nursing staff at the Centre The sight of people injecting in the street is a fading memory since the Centre opened 2 years ago. The only real problem in Sydney is that there is only one such Centre. We need many more in all the illicit drug hot spots. Competing interests: None declared