AUSTRALIAN GOVT (NSW) WANTS TO STOP PRIVATE METHADONE CLINIC LICENSES

A bit bewildering to this yank! Govt wants to scrap private methaodne CLINICS but permit any GP to prescirbe for up to 10 pts? The latter I have no reason to criticize, since I have always maintained that methadone prescirbing should be subject to same general rules that govern prescirbing of any other medicine, even potent and potentially medicines, for any other chronic illness. But why ban private "clinics"? Far as I know there's no comparison that usggests they have poorer outocmes than any other provider. And if indeed there are one year waits for receiving treatment - that's just crazy, isnce under those circumstances `the relevant comparison is not between private and public, but between private and zippo treatment - i.e., abandonment. So what's up down under?

A RESPONSE TO MY QUESTION from a distinguished and respected colleague from australia: "The GPs prescribing to less than 10 patients cannot initiate, but can continue treatment. The ban on private clinics is because they account for more than their fair share of complaints. It's true that patients are better off getting bad methadone maintenance treatment than street heroin from an excellent criminal or corrupt police officer. But bad methadone treatment gets a lot of bad press and really does jeopardise the whole programme. We have had a spate of young children dying from methadone recently, I don't like that and the public and the Minister like it even less".