Distribution of drug-related problems among London casualty departments.

A survey of patients with drug-related problems seen in London casualty departments during the course of one month revealed 1,706 separate incidents. In 477 cases the patients were dependent on drugs, and more than 40 per cent were dealt with by only five hospitals, all in the West End of London. The remaining 1,229 incidents involved nondependent patients who had taken a drug overdose, and these cases were distributed more evenly between hospitals all over the Greater London area. The implications of this study for service planning and for further monitoring of the patterns of drug misuse are discussed.