Heroin misusers: what they think of their general practitioners

One hundred and sixteen heroin misusers were assessed at hospital clinics regarding their contact with General Practitioners (GPs), their routes of referral and their estimation of GP reaction to a consultation regarding heroin misuse. Thirty-nine (25%) had not previously contacted their GPs for drug misuse; 103 (89%) approached the specialized clinics through means other than a GP; the reported, or anticipated, responses concerning GP attitudes were generally unfavourable. Lack of training and support for GPs are remediable explanations for the findings.