Potentially addictive medication policy

As a practice, Hoyland endeavour to combat the ever-growing problem of substance misuse in our community. There are a number of medications which we prescribe for therapeutic purposes that have the potential to cause addiction. Please rest assured that any prescriptions that are issued for pain killers, anxiety or sleep disorders are always done so with the utmost caution and in doses and quantities that are less likely to cause addiction. Despite this, unfortunately it is very easy for individuals to develop a tolerance to medication and for this reason we aim to regularly touch base with patients who may be prescribed any of the above mentioned medications.
There are some patients who have historically been prescribed sedatives or opiates and have remained on them for many years. Although we would address this on a case-by-case basis, our primary aim would be to gradually wean these medications off and explore alternatives.
We understand that some of our patients may have concerns about being asked not to take certain types of medication, however we would like to remind you that we will always work with you to find suitable and safer alternative forms of therapy. If you are regularly taking opiates, painkillers or sedatives, please make an appointment with a GP to discuss it. Thank you