Drug use: Prescribing for drug use

People who experience problematic opioid use may benefit from being prescribed Opioid Substitution Therapy (OST). The aims of OST are to decrease or stop the use of illicit opioids, as well as reduce the risk of other serious consequences of drug use. This will help improve overall health and social functioning.

Data on OST prescriptions dispensed in the community are recorded in the Prescribing Information System (PIS). Current OST prescribed in Scotland include methadone hydrochloride, buprenorphine, buprenorphine & naloxone and long-acting buprenorphine (including Buvidal© slow-release formulations).

Opioid Substitution Therapy (OST) Drug Prescribing - Community

Drugs used for the treatment of opioid dependence include all those in legacy British National Formulary (BNF) subsection 04.10.03. Methadone hydrochloride is the most commonly used pharmacological treatment for opioid dependency in Scotland. The Excel file Opioid Substitution Therapy in Scotland 2022/23 (177 Kb) contains information on all drugs used for Opioid Substitution Therapy (OST).

Table 1 – Scotland Summary Data shows, for each of the drugs, the number of paid items, gross ingredient costs, defined daily doses (see definition under the ‘Introduction’ tab of the excel file), and the defined daily doses per 1,000 population per day for each year from 2013/14. Table 2 provides a similar breakdown by NHS Board. Table 3 shows the quantities of methadone hydrochloride dispensed at Scotland and NHS Board level.   

OST prescribing analyses to 2017/18 included information on the costs of methadone prescribing. Due to quality and completeness issues for fees associated with the supervised consumption of methadone, this information has not been included in subsequent updates of the OST prescribing statistics. Following further investigations, it has become apparent that, due to the increasing use of buprenorphine and variations in the way that NHS Boards supply fee information, it is no longer possible to publish comprehensive or robust OST cost information. Therefore, until further notice, the OST prescribing statistics will no longer include methadone/OST cost information. All enquiries about the financial cost of OST prescribing should be addressed to territorial NHS Boards.   

OST dispensing arrangements in some NHS Boards were modified as a consequence of the introduction of physical distancing measures during the COVID-19 pandemic. Such changes were implemented on the basis of local contingency plans, which (following appropriate risk assessment) endorsed changes to the supervision and/or instalment frequency, number and duration of prescription(s) on a case-by-case basis, where necessary and appropriate. Nationally, this is known to have led to a decrease in the number of OST items prescribed and a corresponding increase in the duration of OST prescriptions (for example, some individuals normally receiving a prescription for 28 days may have received 56-day prescriptions during the pandemic).  

Key Points:

In 2022/23, the number of paid items for OST drugs (including methadone) was 423,814. This was lower than the equivalent figure for 2021/22 (438,946) (Table 1 – Scotland Summary Data: BNF Subsection 04.10.03 - Opioid Dependence (all drugs)). While a decreasing trend in the dispensing of OST drugs has been evident since 2013/14, the decrease in the number of items observed in 2020/21 was thought to reflect changes in OST dispensing due to the COVID-19 pandemic rather than underlying changes in prescribing activity.  Given these contextual changes, the number of Defined Daily Doses (DDDs) per 1,000 population per day is now regarded as the most robust measure of OST dispensing over time and is used throughout the following discussion.  

  • In 2022/23 the dispensing of methadone was equivalent to 10.28 DDDs per 1,000 population per day. This was the lowest rate in the recent time series, which has been gradually decreasing since 2013/14 (13.0). (Table 1 – Scotland Summary Data: Methadone Hydrochloride).  
  • Buprenorphine dispensing (including Buvidal© slow-release formulations) continued to increase in 2022/23, rising to 1.75 DDDs per 1,000 population per day. The use of buprenorphine to treat opioid dependence has increased markedly since 2016/17 (0.16 DDDs per 1,000 population per day) and was 13% higher than the figure for 2021/22 (1.55) (Table 1 – Scotland Summary Data: Buprenorphine).  
  • In 2022/23, the dispensing of buprenorphine and naloxone combined (Suboxone) was equivalent to 0.20 DDDs per 1,000 population per day. This was a further decrease compared to the 2015/16 figure (0.80 DDDs per 1,000 population per day) which was the highest in the recent time series (Table 1 – Scotland Summary Data: Buprenorphine and Naloxone).  
  • Since the beginning of the time series (2013/14), the distribution of drugs prescribed for opioid dependence in Scotland has changed. Based on numbers of Defined Daily Doses (DDDs), methadone decreased from 94% of all OST dispensing in 2013/14 to 84% in 2022/23. Over this time period, there were changes in the OST treatments offered by NHS Boards in Scotland, with an increase in prescriptions for medications containing buprenorphine. Buprenorphine and naloxone combined (Suboxone) increased from 5% of OST dispensing in 2013/15 to 6% in 2014/15 and 2015/16, before decreasing to 2% between 2018/19 and 2022/23.  In the period from 2013/14 to 2016/17, buprenorphine accounted for approximately 1% of OST dispensing each year, but gradually increased to 14% in 2022/23 (Table 1 – Scotland Summary Data).  

Patient Estimates - Community

The number of individuals prescribed specific drugs can be estimated using the Community Health Index (CHI) numbers captured on prescriptions. Since 2013/14, there has been an overall decrease in the number of Opioid Substitution Therapy (OST) items (including methadone hydrochloride and buprenorphine) dispensed in Scotland. However, differences in prescribing practices between NHS Boards, issues associated with CHI capture for OST prescriptions (for example, handwritten or poorly printed CHI numbers) and changes to dispensing practices associated with COVID-19 mean that such changes do not equate straightforwardly with increases or decreases in the number of people prescribed these medications and that, in general, it is challenging to provide robust counts of the number of people prescribed OST in Scotland.  

The estimated number of patients prescribed 1) methadone, 2) oral buprenorphine and 3) any OST drug, are described in the sections below. These figures are counts of patient CHI numbers captured from prescriptions for relevant medications at any time in a financial year. These figures are not mutually exclusive. People who have been prescribed methadone will be counted in both the methadone and OST figures. Those prescribed oral buprenorphine will be counted in both the oral buprenorphine and OST figures. Individuals prescribed both methadone and oral buprenorphine in the same financial year will be counted in all three sets of figures. For this reason, the sum of the methadone and oral buprenorphine patient figures may be greater than the OST patient count for the same area and time period.  

The estimates of the number of people prescribed methadone and oral buprenorphine include CHI capture statistics by NHS Board of prescription, form type and financial year. The OST patient figures provide CHI capture rates based on local authority and NHS Board of prescription and financial year.  

National 'CHI capture' percentages for other OST drugs by prescription form type and year (2013/14 to 2022/23) are also provided in the Excel workbook Opioid Substitution Therapy in Scotland 2022/23 (177 Kb) (Table 4 - CHI capture). More information regarding community dispensing can be found on the PHS Prescribing web pages.

Methadone

The Methadone Patient Estimates 2022/23 (65 Kb) are a minimum count of individuals prescribed methadone hydrochloride 1mg/ml solution (the most commonly prescribed OST formulation in Scotland).
The national CHI capture for methadone increased from 72% in 2013/14 to 81% in 2022/23 (Tab 1 Patient Estimates). This remains below the agreed threshold of reliability for individual-level analysis (usually only reported when CHI completeness is above 85-90%). However, as a result of ongoing public interest in prescribing for opioid dependence, these statistics are published as management information.   

  • In 2022/23, methadone 1mg/ml solution was prescribed to a minimum of 22,087 people (Tab 1 Patient Estimates) for the treatment of opioid dependence.   
  • The highest estimate in the observed time series was in 2016/17, when a minimum of 26,002 people were prescribed methadone 1mg/ml solution. Since then, a gradual decrease in estimated numbers has occurred while CHI capture rates have been roughly stable. The variable quality of the underlying data means that the figures (and comparisons between years) should be treated with caution. In particular, year-to-year variations in the minimum number of people prescribed methadone may have been associated with changes in CHI capture (Tab 1 Patient Estimates).   
  • In 2022/23, the NHS Boards with the highest estimated numbers of residents prescribed Methadone were Greater Glasgow and Clyde (6,768), Lothian (3,655) and Grampian (2,367).   
  • The above figures are based on prescriptions with valid CHI numbers. In 2022/23, 81.2% of methadone prescriptions had a valid CHI number. This represents no change from the previous year and remains highest methadone CHI capture percentage on record. Based on NHS Board of prescribing, the highest CHI capture percentage was observed in Boarders (95.5%) while the lowest was observed in Ayrshire and Arran (49.6%).   
  •  However, it is not possible to determine how many additional individuals prescribed methadone 1mg/ml solution would have been identified if a higher percentage of prescriptions included valid CHI numbers (Tab 1 Patient Estimates).   
  • In 2022/23 a valid CHI number was captured on 85.8% of GP prescriptions and 75.7% of hospital prescriptions for methadone 1mg/ml solution. CHI capture for GP and hospital prescriptions remained stable in 2022/23, compared to the previous year (85.1% and 75.6% respectively) (Tab 2 CHI Capture by Form Type).   

Buprenorphine Tablets

The Buprenorphine Patient Estimates 2022/23 (62 Kb) are a minimum count of individuals prescribed buprenorphine tablets (including buprenorphine 2mg, buprenorphine 8mg, buprenorphine & naloxone 2mg/0.5mg, and buprenorphine & naloxone 8mg/2mg formulations, but excluding injectable Buvidal© slow-release formulations).
The national CHI capture for oral buprenorphine increased from 64% in 2013/14 to 82% in 2022/23 (Tab 1 Patient Estimates). Therefore, it remains below the agreed threshold of reliability for individual-level analysis (usually only reported when CHI completeness is above 85-90%). However, as a result of public interest in prescribing for opioid dependence, these statistics are published as management information.

  • In 2022/23, oral buprenorphine was prescribed to a minimum of 7,254 people (Tab 1 Patient Estimates) for the treatment of opioid dependence.   
  • In 2013/14, a minimum of 4,021 people were prescribed buprenorphine tablets for the treatment of opioid dependence. Since then, a gradual increase in estimated numbers has occurred while CHI capture rates have improved. The variable quality of the underlying data means that the figures (and comparisons between years) should be treated with caution. Variations in the minimum number of people prescribed oral buprenorphine may have been associated with changes in CHI capture (Tab 1 Patient Estimates).    
  • In 2022/23, the NHS Boards with the highest estimated numbers of residents prescribed oral buprenorphine were Greater Glasgow and Clyde (1,972), Lanarkshire (1061) and Lothian (997).   
  • The above figures are based on prescriptions with valid CHI numbers. In 2022/23, there were 81.6% of oral buprenorphine prescriptions with a valid CHI number. This was the highest oral buprenorphine CHI capture percentage on record. Based on NHS Board of prescribing, the highest CHI capture percentage was observed in Boarders (96.7%) while the lowest was observed in Western Isles (30.2%).    
  • However, it is not possible to determine how many additional individuals prescribed oral buprenorphine would have been identified if a higher percentage of prescriptions included valid CHI numbers (Tab 1 Patient Estimates).    
  • In 2022/23 a valid CHI number was captured on 84.0% of GP prescriptions and 78.6% of hospital prescriptions for buprenorphine tablets. CHI capture for GP and hospital prescriptions in 2022/23 were comparable to those in 2021/22 (82.6% and 79.3% respectively) (Tab 2 CHI Capture by Form Type).   

Injectable Buprenorphine

The Injectable Buprenorphine Patient Estimates (44KB)describes the number of people prescribed injectable buprenorphine in Scotland per financial year quarter, based on data from both primary care (from Prescribing Information System: PIS) and secondary care (Hospital Medicines Utilisation Database: HMUD) systems.  

As approximately 30% of injectable buprenorphine prescribing is via hospital stock order (from HMUD), which does not provide patient identifiers, it is not possible to provide an estimate of the number of patients prescribed this medication by counting the number of unique CHI numbers observed in PIS data (as for methadone and oral buprenorphine). Instead, after discussion with specialist Pharmacists, it has been assumed that the number of monthly (28 day) injectable buprenorphine formulations dispensed approximates to the number of prescribed patients. Monthly injectable buprenorphine formulations are given to patients who are ‘stable’ on this medication (i.e., who are prescribed a suitable monthly dose, having initially followed a weekly dosing regimen designed to assess their tolerance for this medication).  

The estimates provided here are based on financial year quarters and cover financial years 2020/21 to 2022/23. Totals for financial year quarters are based on averaged monthly data. As HMUD data are based on stock orders of medication, there can be wide variation in the amounts of specific medications ordered from month to month. Averaging the data over a 3-month period helps to reduce this variation. Additionally, the quarterly analysis shown here is more useful than an annual analysis for highlighting the rapid expansion in the use of injectable buprenorphine, which was first licensed for use in 2020.  

Key points:

  • In 2022/23 Q4, it was estimated that 2,698 people were prescribed injectable buprenorphine in Scotland. This represents a 60% increase compared to 2021/22 Q4 when an estimated 1,684 people were prescribed Buprenorphine (Tab 1 Quarterly Buprenorphine).  
  • In 2022/23 Q4, the NHS Boards with the highest estimated numbers of residents prescribed injectable buprenorphine were Greater Glasgow and Clyde (951), Lothian (421) and Tayside (269). 

Opioid Substitution Therapy

Annual OST patient estimates

The OST Patient Estimates 2022/23(88 Kb) describe the minimum number of individuals prescribed drugs used for the treatment of opioid dependence from legacy British National Formulary (BNF) subsection 04.10.03, by their local authority of residence. This includes methadone hydrochloride, buprenorphine, buprenorphine & naloxone and long-acting buprenorphine (including Buvidal© slow-release formulations). Lofexidine hydrochloride and naltrexone hydrochloride (both primarily used for the management of opioid withdrawals) are not included.

The figures shown in Tab 1 and Tabs 2a and 2b are based on the number of unique Community Health Index (CHI) numbers captured from named community prescriptions for relevant medications at any time in a financial year from Prescribing Information System (PIS) data. These figures are described as 'estimates' or 'minimum numbers' due to issues associated with CHI capture for OST prescriptions which mean that it is challenging to provide a robust count of the number of people prescribed these medications. Although in some areas CHI capture remains below the agreed threshold of reliability for individual-level analysis (usually only reported when CHI completeness is above 85-90%), these statistics are published as management information due to the ongoing public interest in drug treatment and OST prescribing.  

The OST Patient Estimates shown in Tab 1 are based on patients’ local authority of residence and include totals for groups of local authorities which correspond to NHS Board areas. 

Tabs 2a and 2b provide a summary of CHI capture percentages for OST medications by financial year in local authority of prescribing and NHS Board of prescribing respectively. Although most people will be prescribed community medications in the area in which they live, CHI capture rates based on the area of prescription cannot be assumed to apply to the area of residence as individual prescribers may treat people resident in other areas (for example, people who are on holiday). On that basis, these figures are included for indicative purposes only.  

As described in the ‘Injectable Buprenorphine’ section above, some long-acting buprenorphine treatments administered in community settings are prescribed via hospital stock order forms (captured in the Hospital Medicines Utilisation Database (HMUD)) which do not provide patient identifiers. It is therefore not possible to provide an estimate of the number of patients prescribed injectable buprenorphine via this route by counting numbers of unique CHI numbers. After discussion with specialist Pharmacists, a new combined OST estimate has been developed which includes patients prescribed injectable buprenorphine via hospital stock order. 

The Combined OST Patient Estimates shown in Tab 3 provide details of the number of patients prescribed methadone, oral buprenorphine, and injectable buprenorphine (inclusive of PIS and HMUD data) by NHS Board of residence for financial years 2020/21 to 2022/23.

In Tab 3, for each financial year and NHS Board of residence:

  • The ‘PIS’ column shows the count of unique Community Health Index (CHI) numbers captured from named community prescriptions for relevant medications at any time in a financial year from Prescribing Information System (PIS) data, as per Tab 1.
  • The ‘HMUD’ column shows the highest quarterly injectable buprenorphine patient estimate within the relevant financial year based on hospital stock order (HMUD) data only. As per the ‘Injectable buprenorphine’ estimates, it has been assumed that the number of monthly (28 day) injectable buprenorphine formulations dispensed approximates to the number of patients who are ‘stable’ on this medication (i.e. who are prescribed a suitable monthly dose, having initially followed a weekly dosing regimen designed to assess their tolerance for this medication). Due to monthly variations in stock orders, quarterly averages of the number of monthly (28 day) injectable buprenorphine formulations supplied per month are used. For HMUD data, it is assumed that NHS Board of supply is the same as NHS Board of residence. HMUD data are available at NHS Board level only and are therefore not shown by local authority of residence.
  • The ‘Total’ column shows the combined total OST patient estimate (the sum of the PIS and HMUD columns). These figures are described as 'estimates' and are published as management information. 

Key points:

Based on data from the Prescribing Information System (PIS) only:

  • In 2022/23, OST was prescribed to an estimated minimum of 29,161 people in Scotland. This was a small decrease compared to the 2021/22 estimate (29,600) (Tab 1 OST patients by LA res).   
  • The variable quality of the underlying data means that the figures (and comparisons between years or areas) should be treated with caution. However, the estimated minimum number of people prescribed OST in Scotland has been in the range of approximately 29,200 to 29,750 people in each year since 2016/17.  
  • In 2022/23, the local authorities with the highest estimated numbers of residents prescribed OST were Glasgow City (5,863), City of Edinburgh (2,995) and Fife (1,859).   
  • In 2022/23, the NHS Boards with the highest estimated numbers of residents prescribed OST (based on figures for their constituent local authorities) were Greater Glasgow & Clyde (8,775), Lothian (4,579) and Grampian (3,016).   
  • The above figures are based on prescriptions with valid CHI numbers. In 2022/23, there were 81.4% of OST prescriptions with a valid CHI number – the highest percentage across the time series (Tab 2a CHI capture by LA treat).   

Based on data from the Prescribing Information System (PIS) and Hospital Medicines Utilisation Database (HMUD):

  • In 2022/23, including patients supplied with injectable buprenorphine via hospital stock order systems, it is estimated that OST was prescribed to an estimated minimum of 29,942 people in Scotland. This was a small decrease compared to the 2021/22 estimate (30,058) (Tab 3 Combined Pat OST Estimated). 

Quarterly OST patient estimates (12-month rolling period)

The Quarterly OST patient estimates (52Kb) describe the minimum number of individuals prescribed drugs used for the treatment of opioid dependence from legacy British National Formulary (BNF) subsection 04.10.03, by their local authority of residence. This includes methadone hydrochloride, buprenorphine, buprenorphine & naloxone, and long-acting buprenorphine (including Buvidal© slow-release formulations).

The Quarterly OST Patient Estimates shown in Tab 1 are based on patients’ local authority of residence and include totals for groups of local authorities which correspond to NHS Board areas. These estimates are based on the number of unique Community Health Index (CHI) numbers captured from named community prescriptions from Prescribing Information System (PIS) data for relevant medications at any time within 12 months of each financial year quarter. The purpose of publishing these quarterly updates is to provide regular and frequent surveillance of trends in the numbers of people prescribed OST.

It is recognised that some long-acting buprenorphine treatments administered in community settings are prescribed via hospital stock order forms (captured in the Hospital Medicines Utilisation Database (HMUD)) and do not include patient details. It is therefore not possible to provide an estimate of the number of patients prescribed injectable buprenorphine via this route by counting numbers of unique CHI numbers. After discussion with specialist Pharmacists, a new combined OST estimate has been developed which includes patients prescribed injectable buprenorphine via hospital stock order.

The Combined OST Patient Estimates shown in Tab 2 provide details of the number of patients prescribed methadone, oral buprenorphine, and injectable buprenorphine (inclusive of PIS and HMUD data) by NHS Board of residence for 2022/23 Q3 to 2023/24 Q2.

By showing the estimates on the basis of a rolling 12-month period, which is updated each quarter, it is possible to observe changes in the numbers of people prescribed OST in a more timely manner than in the annual figures shown in the section above. The most recent estimate covering the four preceding financial year quarters up to 2023/24 Q2, shows the number of unique CHI numbers recorded in OST prescriptions from 1 October 2022 to 30 September 2023. The previous estimate (2023/24 Q1) represents the four financial year quarters from 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2023.

In Tab 2, for each rolling-12-month period and NHS Board of residence:

  • The ‘PIS’ column shows the count of unique Community Health Index (CHI) numbers captured from named community prescriptions for relevant medications at any time in a financial year from Prescribing Information System (PIS) data, as per Tab 1.
  • The ‘HMUD’ column shows the highest quarterly injectable buprenorphine patient estimate within the relevant rolling 12-month period based on hospital stock order (HMUD) data only. It has been assumed that the number of monthly (28 day) injectable buprenorphine formulations dispensed approximates to the number of patients receiving this medication. Due to monthly variations in stock orders, quarterly averages of the number of monthly (28 day) injectable buprenorphine formulations supplied per month are used. For HMUD data, it is assumed that NHS Board of supply is the same as NHS Board of residence. HMUD data are available at NHS Board level only and are therefore not shown by local authority of residence.
  • The ‘Total’ column shows the combined total OST patient estimate (the sum of the PIS and HMUD columns). These figures are described as 'estimates' and are published as management information.

In 2023/24 Quarter 2:

Based on data from the Prescribing Information System (PIS) only:

  • OST was prescribed to an estimated minimum of 29,091 people in Scotland. This was a small decrease compared to the 2023/24 Q1 estimate (29,142) (Tab1 Quarterly OST Estimates (PIS)).
  • The local authorities where the highest estimated numbers of people prescribed OST lived were Glasgow City (5,880), City of Edinburgh (2,916) and Fife (1,854).
  • In 2023/24 Quarter 2, the NHS Board areas where the highest estimated numbers of people prescribed OST lived (based on figures for their constituent local authorities) were Greater Glasgow & Clyde (8,787), Lothian (4,437) and Grampian (2,998).

 Based on data from Prescribing Information System (PIS) and Hospital Medicines Utilisation Database (HMUD):

  • In 2023/24 Q2, OST (inclusive of injectable buprenorphine prescribing) was prescribed to an estimated minimum of 30,190 people in Scotland. This was a small increase compared to the 2023/24 Q1 estimate (30,133) (Tab2 Q Combined OST Estimates).
  • The NHS Board areas where the highest estimated numbers of people prescribed OST (inclusive of injectable buprenorphine prescribing) lived were Greater Glasgow & Clyde (8,844), Lothian (4,671) and Grampian (3,053).

 

OST patient estimates validity exercise

In order to assess the accuracy of the estimates produced by PHS, a validity exercise was carried out prior to the first release of these statistics in March 2022. OST prescribers in each of the territorial NHS Boards were invited to provide independent counts of the number of people receiving OST in 2020/21. The results of this exercise are available in OST Patient Estimates 2020/21 (82KB) (Tab C NHS Board OST counts)

Key points:

  • Counts of the number of people prescribed OST in 2020/21 were provided by pharmacists in all territorial NHS Boards except for NHS Shetland. The information provided by NHS Boards indicated that OST was prescribed to a minimum of 29,483 people in 2020/21 (Tab C NHS Board OST counts). If PHS’s OST patient estimate (Tab A OST Patients by LA res) was used for NHS Shetland (105), the 2020/21 Scotland total would have been 29,588.
  • In 2020/21, the largest numerical discrepancies between the NHS Board OST counts and the PHS OST patient estimates were observed in NHS Lanarkshire (3,036 compared to 2,647) and NHS Ayrshire & Arran (2,068 compared to 2,389) (Tab A OST patients by LA res & Tab C NHS Board OST counts). NHS Board OST patient counts were provided using a variety of local systems, with some excluding specific prescriber types or not covering the entire financial year. However, the overall similarity between the NHS Board OST counts and the PHS OST patient estimates provides some reassurance about the validity of OST prescribing data published on ScotPHO.

OST Drug Prescribing - Prisons

The National Prisoner Healthcare Network collects data on the number of prisoners prescribed Opioid Substitution Therapy drugs by prison establishment. The latest data can be found in the PHS Prison Health Information Dashboard.

Key points:

  • On 14 July 2021, approximately 30.8% of prisoners in Scotland were receiving Opioid Substitution Therapy, an increase compared to previous years (26.3% on 9 February 2020, and 22.0% on 6 June 2018)
  • Methadone was prescribed to 22% (1,512) of prisoners, 6% (396) were prescribed Buprenorphine, 3% (214) were prescribed Buvidal, and 0.1% (5) were prescribed buprenorphine/naloxone on that day.
  • The highest percentage of prisoners prescribed methadone was observed in HMP Greenock (37%), HMP Kilmarnock (32%) and HMP Edinburgh (29%). The lowest percentages of prisoners prescribed methadone were observed in HMP Polmont, HMP Castle Huntly, and HMP Dumfries (8%, 7% and 6% respectively).
  • Prescribing of Buvidal in prisons in Scotland was introduced as a contingency measure response to the COVID-19 pandemic, as it is a sustained release injectable form of OST and available in 7-day or 28-day doses, compared to daily oral doses of methadone. HMP Cornton Vale, HMP Inverness and HMP Glenochil were the establishments with the highest percentages of prisoners prescribed Buvidal (11%, 7% and 6% respectively).
  • The prison establishments with the highest percentage of prisoners prescribed Buprenorphine  were HMP Perth (20%), HMP Castle Huntly (8%) and HMP Inverness (8%).
  • Buprenorphine/naloxone was prescribed in just two prisons: HMP Inverness (3% of prisoners) and HMP Grampian (0.5%)

 Previous findings can be found here: