The non-medical use of prescription drugs controlled under the Conventions is an increasing problem in many countries. In some countries, this is second only to cannabis. This is most notably in North America, but there are reports of significant treatment demand also in Europe, Africa, South Asia and Latin America. Prescription drugs controlled under the Conventions include a wide range of substances: tranquilizers (e.g. benzodiazepines such as diazepam), analgesics/ pain killers (e.g. opioids such as oxycodone), sedatives (e.g. flunitrazepam), antidepressants (e.g. fluoxetine), stimulants (e.g. methylphenidate). Depending on the country and the kind of substance, some groups (such as youth, women, older adults, health care professionals, but also street children and civilians and armed forces in post conflict situations) appear to be particularly at risk. Moreover, the health and social consequences can be as serious as for the use of illicit drugs. In the USA, at least 23% of drug-related emergency department admissions and 20.4% of all single drug-related emergency department deaths are due to the non-medical use of prescription drugs, and the non-medical use of prescription drugs can lead to dependence, including all its health and social consequences, especially when starting at a very young age.
Addressing the non-medical use of prescription drugs needs to carefully take into consideration the need to ensure the availability of these substances (that do have a recognised and much needed medical use), while preventing diversion and misuse. UNODC is developing a discussion paper to assist Member States in addressing the issue of the nonmedical use of prescription drugs, focusing on recommendations on policy and practice. The purpose is to provide the same kind of advice that exists with regard to prevention of the use and the treatment and care of the dependence of illicit drugs. The sources of prescription drugs is different, but the need for prevention and treatment with a view to promoting health is the same. Government authorities, parents, medical doctors, pharmacists, pharmaceutical companies have all important roles to play.
To this purpose, UNODC, together with WHO, convened a technical consultation in Vienna from 22 to 24 June 2010, inviting a wide range of researchers, policy makers and practitioners. Many Member States chose to participate as well. All in all more than 30 people participated in the consultation, representing 20 countries from all continents. Participants discussed the current situation and identified possible recommendations to improve policy and practice in the following areas: epidemiology and factors contributing to an increased prescription drugs use, effects on health and society, requirements of the Conventions, policy, role of the health sector and pharmaceutical companies, advocacy and prevention, and, treatment and care. Please see below the list of participants, agenda and presentations made at the meeting.
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Tuesday, 22 June 2010 |
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9.00 |
Welcome Mr. Gilberto Gerra, Chief, UNODC Drug Prevention and Helath Branch Official Opening of the Consultation Mr. Antonio Maria Costa Executive Director, UNODC |
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9.15 |
Introduction of Participants Ms. Giovanna Campello, Programme Management Officer, UNODC Prevention, Treatment and Rehabilitation Section |
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9.30 |
Goals and Scope of the Experts Meeting |
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10.30 |
Coffee Break |
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11.00 |
Epidemiology/Alarm Facilitation: Mr. Gilberto Gerra Presentation 1 (10min): Mr. Kamran Niaz, UNODC Presentation 2 (10min): Mr. Wilson Compton, USA (NIDA) Objectives for his session:
Discussion (1h) Wrapping up the session (10min) |
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12.45 |
Lunch |
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14.15 |
Factors contributing to increased nonmedical prescription drugs use Facilitation: Ms. Katri Tala Presentation 1 (10min): Mr. Tim Pfeiffer-Gerschel, Germany (EMCDDA) Objectives for this session:
Discussion (1h15) Wrapping up the session (15min) |
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16.00 |
Coffee Break |
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16.30 |
Damages and consequences Facilitation: Ms. Elizabeth Saenz, Expert, UNODC Prevention, Treatment and Rehabilitation Section Objectives for this session:
Discussion (1h) Wrapping up the session (15min) |
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18.00 |
End of Day |
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Wednesday 23 June 2010 |
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9.00 |
Agenda for the day, visiting yesterday's conclusions |
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9.15 |
Conventions Facilitation: Mr. Gilberto Gerra and Mr. Nicolas Clark Presentation 1 (15min): Hanifa Rebbani and Gisela Wieser- Herbeck, (INCB) Discussion (1h) Wrapping up the session (10min) |
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10.45 |
Coffee Break |
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11.15 |
Policy Facilitation: Mr. Nicolas Clark Presentation 1 (10min): Mr. Ziggie Malyniwsky (CICAD) Objectives for this session:
Discussion (1h) Wrapping up the session (15min) |
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12.45 |
Lunch |
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14.15 |
Medical and pharmaceutical role Facilitation: Mr. Gilberto Gerra and Mr. Nicolas Clark Presentation 2 (10min): Mr. Nicolas Clark, Management of Substance Abuse WHO Objectives for this session:
Discussion (50min) Wrapping up the session (10min) |
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15.45 |
Coffee Break |
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16.15 |
Advocacy/Awareness/Prevention Facilitation: Ms. Giovanna Campello Presentation 1 (10min): Mr. Mohamed D. Abed (United Arab Emirates) Presentation 2 (10min): Mr. Michael Soyka, Switzerland (Private Hospital Meiringen ) Objectives for this session:
Discussion (1h) Wrapping up the session (15min) |
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17.45 |
End of Day |
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Thursday 24 June 2010 |
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09.00 |
Policy on treatment Facilitation: Ms. Anja Busse, Expert, UNODC Prevention, Treatment and rehabilitation Section Presentation 1: Mr. Fayzal Sulliman, Mauritius (Methadone Programme, Ministry of Health) Presentation 2: Mr. Adam Bisaga, US (Columbia University) Objectives for this session:
Discussion (50min) Wrapping up the session (15min) |
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10.30 |
Coffee Break |
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11.00 |
Recommendations and conclusions Facilitation: Ms. Giovanna Campello, Programme Management Officer, UNODC Prevention, Treatment and Rehabilitation Section |
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12.30 |
Lunch |
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14.00 |
Summarising the meeting Facilitation: Ms. Katri Tala, UNODC Closing address: Mr. Gilberto Gerra, UNODC |
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15.30 |
End of Day |
Al Ansari, Aisha Ibrahim
Pharmacy & Drug Control Department
Supreme Council of Health
Qatar
Alfaro, Emilia Ramirez
Instituto Costarricense Sobre Drogas: Jefe Unidad de Control y Fiscalización de Precursores y coordinadora del Ámbito de Control y Fiscalización del Plan Nacional Sobre Drogas
Costa Rica
Al-Smail, Talal Saleh
Ministry of Interior
Kuwait
Astrauskienė, Audronė
Drug Control Department under the Government of the Republic of Lithuania
Lithuania
Bertolote, Jose Manoel
National Secretariat on Drug Policies
Brazil
Beznogykh, Volodymyr
Ukrainian Medical and Monitoring Centre for Alcohol and Drugs,
Ministry of Health
Ukraine
Bisaga, Adam
Department of Psychiatry at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University
New York State Psychiatric Institute
United States of America
Busse, Anja
Prevention, Treatment and Rehabilitation Section
UNODC
Campello, Giovanna
Prevention, Treatment and Rehabilitation Section
UNODC
Clark, Nicolas
Management of Substance Abuse
WHO
Compton, Wilson
Division of Epidemiology, Services and Prevention Research at the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
United States of America
Dobbin, Malcolm
Alcohol and Drugs to the Mental Health and Drugs Division of the Victorian Department of Human Services
Australia
Espejo-Reyes, Helen Maita
Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency
Philippines
Evranosoglu , Öznur Sevim
General Directorate of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Health
Turkey
Gerra, Gilberto
Drug Prevention and Health Branch
UNODC
Gonzalez, Ariel Walter
Embassy of Argentina
Argentina
Gonzalez, Luz
Unidad de Control de Quimicos de la Comision Nacional de Drogas de Panama
Panama
Groff, Alberto
Permanent Mission of Switzerland to the United Nations and International Organizations in Vienna
Switzerland
Hammond, Beate
Laboratory and Scientific Section
UNODC
Kahlesz, Timea
Ministry of National Resources (former Ministry of Health), Department for Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices
Hungary
Li, Weihua
Department of Drug Safety and Inspection, China State Food and Drug Administration
China
Malungu, Mikal Ayiro
Ministry of Medical Services, Pharmacy and Poisons Board
Kenya
Malyniwsky, Ziggie
Supply Reduction and Control, Executive Secretariat
CICAD
Mendoza, Erasmo
Nacional de Comision Nacional de Drogas de Panama
Panama
Molnár, Balázs
Permanent Mission of Hungary
Okruhlica, Lubomir
Centre for Drugs Abuse Treatment
Slovak Republic
Pfeiffer-Gerschel, Tim
German National Focal Point of the EMCDDA & National Drug Treatment Statistics IFT Institute für Therapieforschung München
Germany
Qabazerd, Mohammad Mustapha
Ministry of Interior
Kuwait
Ray, Rajat
Department of Psychiatry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS)
India
Rebbani, Hanifa
Psychotropics Control Section
INCB
Saenz, Elizabeth
Prevention, Treatment and Rehabilitation Section
UNODC
Schnoll, Sidney
Pharmaceutical Risk Management Services, Pinney Associates.
United States of America
Shan, Xiaojing
International Cooperation Division, Office of China National Narcotics Control Commission
China
Soyka, Michael
Private Hospital Meiringen
Switzerland
Sulliman, Fayzal
Ministry of Health
Mauritius
Tala, Katri
Prevention, Treatment and Rehabilitation Section
UNODC
Viglione, Ariadna M.
Prevención de la Drogadicción y la Lucha contra el Narcotráfico
Argentina
Wang, Qianrong
China National Narcotics Control Commission
China
Wang, Xiangdong
Precursor Chemicals Control Division, Office of China National Narcotics Control Commission
China
Wieser-Herbeck, Gisela
Narcotics Control and Estimates Section
INCB
Zajzon-Boruzs, Hedvig
Department of the Office for Health Authorization and Administrative Procedures
Hungary
