Doctors are required to notify the Addicts Index if they see
patients who are addicted to certain drugs including heroin,
methadone and cocaine The index is used to provide
statistical information to help develop policies and local
services for drug users. It also allows doctors to check
whether a patient seeking treatment
is
already receiving
treatment from another doctor
However this may change as
the government may
abolish the Addicts index and only collect statistical
data regionally rather than nationally. Ask your doctor
or drug worker what the current situation is.
Having been notified to the Addicts Index is known by many
as being 'a registered addict' but, in fact, there
is
no such
status.
The Addicts Index maintains strict standards of
confidentiality - if it didn't, doctors and drug agencies would
have nothing to do with it because it would breach their
policies of confidentiality.
No personal information is
ever given to the police, visa authorities, employers or
anyone else other than doctors enquiring about patients
coming under their care.
If your local police do find out you've got a script it
won't be from the Index, or your drug service.
All
police forces check the controlled drugs registers of
pharmacies on their patch from time to time. They do this to
make sure that everything is in order but it means they can
see who has a methadone script too.