Former morphine addict calls for tougher restrictions on epilepsy drug

14th February 2005

By ALISON BROWN in Rotorua

A former morphine addict is backing calls for strict controls on prescribing a drug which, combined with methadone, can send people on a violent rampage.

The 33-year-old woman, who has been in and out of jail for burglaries and dishonesty offences for 15 years, is one of more than 90 people in Rotorua and Taupo who take methadone - a drug prescribed to drug addicts to help them become drug-free.

Diane (not her real name) says methadone, when taken on its own, is an effective way to deal with her morphine addiction and keep her on the "straight and narrow".

She has experienced first hand the dangerous effects of mixing methadone with other drugs, having spent 16 months behind bars for her involvement in a series of pharmacy robberies in Rotorua.

After taking a cocktail of drugs, Diane and one of her sisters targeted Ranolf Pharmacy and Pharmacy 44 for methadone and the prescribed drug Rivotril in separate raids about three years ago.

Pharmacy 44 was recently targeted again for drugs by two men who have since pleaded guilty to charges of aggravated robbery. They are in custody and will be sentenced on March 18.

Owner Ian Edward said he suspected the men were under the influence of methadone and Rivotril, an epilepsy drug which is also prescribed for people with anxiety attacks.

The combination of the two drugs could create dramatic personality changes, he said.

The incident has since led to calls for strict rules for prescribing Rivotril as well as Government funding to help pharmacists who stock methadone pay for tighter security.

Rotorua MP Steve Chadwick plans to hold a meeting with local pharmacists, police and health workers to discuss the issues.

Diane has welcomed efforts to clamp down on drug users' access to Rivotril, citing her experience as proof the drug, when combined with methadone, can send people out of control.

She was first prescribed methadone to relieve a morphine addiction, which developed in the late '90s when she was working as a prostitute in Wanganui. At the height of her addiction, she was shoplifting to support her $1000-a-day habit, stealing TVs and audio equipment in sophisticated scams.

Convicted of the offences, she served time behind bars and moved to Rotorua where she was placed on the local methadone programme.

Although she took methadone daily, she still hungered for a "stronger hit", turning to prescription drugs, like Rivotril, to relieve the craving.

She bought them from other methadone users for $5 a pill.

"The methadone keeps you stable but the [Rivotril] pills take over your mind," she said.

"I couldn't keep still in the house when I was taking them. I just got really high."

Looking back at her violent behaviour, she cringes now to think about the harm she caused, especially to people like Ian Edward who were providing her a service.

Diane is now looking forward to a lifestyle free of violence and hard drugs.

"I don't associate with the people I used to.

"I'm taking my methadone but I haven't touched Rivotril for months," she said.

Rotorua/Taupo methadone programme co-ordinator David Benton supports efforts to tighten up controls on prescribing drugs like Rivotril to methadone clients.

But he said most doctors were aware of the risks prescribing both drugs could have.

"We've talked about it in forums with doctors and local mental health teams. Combining the drugs increases the risk of criminal behaviour as it sedates a part of the brain responsible for normal judgement."

He stressed methadone, when taken on its own, was effective at managing drug addictions and reduced the likelihood of people reoffending by as much as 80 percent after one year.