Does the combined use of heroin or methadone and other substances increase the risk of overdose?

which administered grants to increase the knowledge base around drug-related deaths. 2 The National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse (NTA) is a special health authority within the NHS, established by Government in 2001, to improve the availability, capacity and effectiveness of treatment for drug misuse in England. Treatment can reduce the harm caused by drug misuse to individuals' well-being, to public health and to community safety. The Home Office estimates that there are approximately 250,000–300,000 problematic drug misusers in England who require treatment. The overall purpose of the NTA is to: • Double the number of people in effective, well-managed treatment between 1998 and 2008 • Increase the percentage of those successfully completing or appropriately continuing treatment year-on-year. Document purpose To identify risks of overdose among drug users taking heroin or methadone in combination with other substances, to inform treatment service planning and delivery Title Does the Combined Use of Heroin or Methadone and Other Substances Increase the Risk of Overdose? Target audience Primarily providers and commissioners of drug treatment services in England. Circulation list Managers and commissioners of treatment services Coordinators and chairs of local partnerships (e.g. drug action teams and crime and disorder reduction partnerships) Service user and carer groups Commissioners of pharmaceutical enhanced services local pharmaceutical committees Regional government department leads on drugs Central government department leads on drugs. Description This document summarises the full report of a research project investigating whether taking other substances in combination with heroin or methadone increases the vulnerability to fatal overdose Gateway/ROCR approval The NTA is a self-regulating agency in relation to the Department of Health Gateway Reader information Does the combined use of heroin or methadone and other substances increase the risk of overdose? Disclaimer This publication is not a journal publication and does not constitute National Treatment Agency or Department of Health guidance or recommendations. The views expressed by this study are not necessarily those of the Department of Health or the NTA, but are based on externally refereed research. Does the combined use of heroin or methadone and other substances increase the risk of overdose? 3 This document is a summary of the publication, Study to Determine the Relationship Between Blood-Heroin/Methadone and Concomitant Drug Levels in Fatal Opioid Poisonings (NTA, 2007).