10 Jun 2019

Are we prescribing the right drugs to alcoholics?

From Nine To Noon, 9:08 am on 10 June 2019
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Photo: Photo /123RF

Are alcoholics getting the best drugs they need to help fight their addiction? New research suggests that our medical response to alcohol use disorder is poorly targeted. A study from the University of Otago has found that anti-alcohol drugs disulfiram and naltrexone are rarely prescribed  by medical professionals, who tend to favour anti-depressants. The authors of the study say this means that anti-depressants are being over used. Ben Beaglehole a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Psychological Medicine of the University of Otago is one of the authors of the study.