Marketed medications, abuse availability

The most commonly used opiate substitute is methadone which has been available since the Second World War. It is a potent analgesic with a long half life, and thus once substituted for diamorphine can be reduced over a variable period of time. It is available in ampoules (for injection), tablets, linctus (2 mg in 5 ml), and mixture (1 mg in 1 ml). The use of ampoules and tablets is to be discouraged and many centres now are using the methadone mixture. This can be prescribed by any medical practitioner and requires no central licence. The use of ampoules and tablets has led to abuse, and these preparations have more of a black market value than the mixture. The amount of mixture used will depend on the amount of street heroin consumed and its potency, but it is usual to start at a safe dosage of between 30 and 50 mg daily for opiate dependents consuming half to one gramme... 

Many people in the United States have heard of Rohypnol (flunitrazepam), otherwise known as the date rape drug, as a result of news reports about its abuse. Rohypnol is neither actually on the market nor approved for medical use in the United States. However, it is legal and available by prescription in other parts of the world, including Mexico, South America, Asia, and Europe, where it is one of the most widely used benzodiazepine drugs. Like other benzodiazepines, it is a downer, meaning it acts as a sedative and has a depressant effect on the body s central nervous system (CNS). Other common benzodiazepine drugs include Valium, Xanax, and Halcyon. 

Ketamine became a controlled Schedule III substance in August 1999 based on DEA data documenting the growing abuse of this drug. The marketed forms of ketamine—Ketalar (for human use) and Ketaset, Ketajet, and Vetalar (for veterinary use)—are available only to licensed medical and veterinary personnel. Clandestine manufacture of ketamine has not been encountered because, in contrast to that of PCP, the synthesis of ketamine is a complex and time-consuming process. For this reason, the vast majority of ketamine distributed in the United States is diverted or stolen from legitimate sources, particularly veterinary clinics. 

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