The Psychiatrist (2009) 33: 88-91. doi: 10.1192/pb.bp.108.020107
© 2009 The Royal College of Psychiatrists
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Cocaine use and dependence in clients attending a drug treatment centre in Dublin

Mpho Abel Thula, Registrar

Drug Treatment Centre Board, Trinity Court, 30-31 Pearse Street, Dublin, Ireland, email: poster6{at}yahoo.com

Declaration of interest

None.

AIMS AND METHOD

To assess the number of cocaine-dependent clients attending a typical addiction clinic, using urine drug testing for screening and a structured clinical interview for diagnostic assessment.

RESULTS

Of the 419 clients whose urine records were analysed, 38 were regular users of cocaine (9.1%), with at least half of their urine samples positive for cocaine in a 12-week period; 84.2% of these regular users of cocaine satisfied the criteria for cocaine dependence(7.7% of the total number of those attending the clinic).

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS

Publicly funded addiction treatment centres in Ireland are mostly designed for the treatment of opiate addiction. There is, however, a significant problem of concomitant cocaine dependence in these centres. Increased availability of psychological/behavioural treatment programmes with proven efficacy in cocaine addiction may help improve overall treatment outcome.