Pioneering treatment to support people who are addicted to drugs is coming to Gloucestershire by | Gloucester News Centre - http://gloucesternewscentre.co.uk/
Gloucestershire County Council’s cabinet will consider how an extra £1.25million Government funding will be spent at its meeting on 29 March, which could include a new opioid treatment pilot.
Gloucestershire County Council has so far received £1,250,978 from the Supplemental Substance Misuse Treatment and Recovery Grant (SSMTRG) to help boost drug and alcohol treatment, support, and education in the county.
If cabinet signs off spending proposals, a total of £1,125,341 will be allocated to Change Grow Live (CGL), Gloucestershire’s current provider of adult community drug and alcohol treatment and recovery services. The funding would go towards extra staff, training, and a new Buvidal Pilot for 30 service users to treat opioid addiction.
Buvidal is a relatively new but important initiative; a form of opioid substitution therapy (OST) that offers people who are dependent on opioids, such as heroin, an alternative prescription medicine. Buvidal is given as an injection under the skin, either once a week or once a month and can be used in a controlled way to help prevent withdrawal symptoms and reduce the urge to misuse other opioids. So far, Buvidal has been successful in Scotland, as monthly treatment allows patients to focus on improving their lives and overall health rather than managing their dependence with daily visits to pharmacy.
Services for young people will also get a boost, with £80,000 allocated to Gloucestershire Youth Support Team and £30,000 to InfoBuzz to employ additional staff.
Cllr Mark Hawthorne, cabinet member for public health and leader of Gloucestershire County Council, said, “I’m pleased Gloucestershire has received this boost to our drug and alcohol treatment services. The Buvidal pilot will bring a game-changing treatment for heroin addiction and support those who need it most to get their lives back on track.”
The Government’s Supplemental Substance Misuse Treatment and Recovery Grant is allocated over three years, and Gloucestershire expects to receive £1.13million for 2024/25.
Gloucester News Centre – http://gloucesternewscentre.co.uk
