Pubdate: Thu, 31 May 2001 Source: Courier-Mail, The (Australia) Copyright: 2001 News Limited Contact: http://www.thecouriermail.com.au/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/98 Author: Matthew Hart Bookmarks: http://www.mapinc.org/heroin.htm (Heroin) http://www.mapinc.org/rehab.htm (Treatment) ADDICT IMPLANT BAN THE Medical Board of Queensland has ordered controversial Brisbane doctor Stuart Reece to stop using naltrexone implants in his treatment of heroin addicts. At a special meeting on Tuesday, the board decided to impose conditions on Dr Reece's registration as a medical practitioner. The board, acting under the Health Practitioners Act, "reasonably believes that he poses an imminent threat to the well-being of vulnerable persons and that immediate action is necessary to protect the vulnerable persons". The special conditions imposed on Dr Reece include that he must not insert any further naltrexone implants in any patients, and the board may enter Dr Reece's practice at any time to conduct an inspection. Dr Reece, who was unavailable for comment last night, can appeal against the board's decision. The Medical Board of Queensland's investigation was requested by Health Minister Wendy Edmond. Naltrexone is a prescription drug which blocks the effects of heroin when addicts shoot up, but leaves them more vulnerable to overdose and death if they relapse. The Courier-Mail recently raised concerns about Dr Reece's work and found that there had been a minimum of 24 deaths among almost 850 patients Dr Reece had treated since July 1998. The makers of naltrexone implants have stopped production. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake