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Journal of Public Health Advance Access originally published online on October 4, 2008
Journal of Public Health 2009 31(1):69-73; doi:10.1093/pubmed/fdn081
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© The Author 2008, Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Faculty of Public Health. All rights reserved

Trends in drug misuse recorded in primary care in the UK from 1998 to 2005



Martin Frisher, Senior Lecturer1

Orsolina Martino, Researcher1

Ilana Crome, Professor2

Peter Croft, Professor3
1 Department of Medicines Management, Keele University, Staffordshire ST5 5BG, UK
2 Academic Psychiatry Unit, Keele University Medical School, Harplands Hospital, Hilton Road, Staffordshire ST6 4TH, UK
3 Primary Care Sciences Research Centre, Keele University, Staffordshire ST5 5BG, UK

Address correspondence to Orsolina Martino, E-mail: o.i.martino{at}cphc.keele.ac.uk


  Abstract

Background A recent report by the UK Drugs Policy Commission has highlighted the high levels of drug use in Britain and this has been interpreted as indicative of ineffective drug polices. However, the interpretation was based on sporadic self-report data and indirect extrapolation. This paper assesses trends in the prevalence and incidence of drug misuse in the UK from 1998 to 2005 as recorded in general practice.

Methods The study was a retrospective analysis of the General Practice Research Database. The study cohort comprised ~900 000 patients each year from 183 general practices.

Results Among the Government's key target age group (16–24 years), there was a marked decrease in both prevalence and incidence of illicit drug misuse from 1998 to 2002 (P < 0.01). In older adults (25–59 years), the pattern was more variable during the first part of this period, but incidence remained stable from 2002 to 2005.

Conclusions These data indicate that the problematic drug use in the UK may be declining and that the policies may be more effective than has been previously thought. General Practice data are nonetheless only part of the picture in terms of understanding the prevalence of problematic drug use.

Keywords: epidemiology, primary care, public health


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