Inter Agency Drug Misuse Database
The Inter Agency Drug Misuse Database (IAD), which was established by Merseyside Drug (and Alcohol) Action Teams, Merseyside Police and the Public Health Sector (now Centre for Public Health) in 1997, supports the need for local information on drug misuse. In particular the IAD aims to:
- Provide comprehensive reporting of problem drug users (PDUs) characteristics including a range of demographics and the types of drugs used.
- Reflect levels of service and intervention activity.
- Assist in DAT's (and other responsible bodies) performance management.
- Facilitate the planning and development of services and interventions for PDUs.
- Identify gaps in service provision and delivery, as well as under-served groups as identified by the National Treatment Agency, Department of Health and the Centre for Public Health through interrogation of available data.
- Demonstrate client care pathways and crossover of clients between services by cross matching datasets.
- Highlight changes in levels, demographics and characteristics of drug users and drug use.
- Perform comparisons between geographical areas.
- Report back to D(A)ATs and service providers in the form of audits and quarterly reports as well as responding to ad hoc requests.
- Provide Pan Merseyside reporting on an annual basis.
To enable the above the IAD collects data from as many agencies in contact with drug users as possible and is continually seeking to expand the range and scope of data providers. Data are currently collected from criminal justice services, needle exchange schemes (both pharmacy and agency-based) and the National Drug Treatment Monitoring System (NDTMS) as well as a range of service providers such as Connexions (provides services for young people) and Big Life (provides services for homeless people).