Results of the Randomised Injectable Opioid Treatment Trial (RIOTT)

Published: 13 October 2009

The first randomised controlled trial in the UK to compare the effects of opiate treatments on severely entrenched heroin addicts has found that they can produce significant reductions in the patients' use of street heroin and in self-reported crime. Injectable opiate treatment (injectable methadone and injectable heroin) delivered in new medically supervised injecting clinics was compared to optimised (high quality) oral methadone treatment. Although all groups had positive results, the highest level of retention was in the injectable heroin group. However, the treatment is expensive, at £15,000 per person per year.

The trial was coordinated by the National Addiction Centre which was developed by the Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College London, and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust.

More details on the results can be read on the King's Health Partners website.