Roy Robertson, Professor of Addiction Medicine at the Usher Institute, has played a key role in conceiving and developing a major new pioneering clinical trial to be led by the University of Stirling and funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). . The three-year study – to be conducted across seven sites in Scotland and England, beginning in January – aims to reduce the use of street-sourced benzodiazepines among people receiving treatment for opioid dependency. It is one of the first of its kind, assessing whether prescribing a stable dose of diazepam alongside additional support can help prevent harmful drug use and reduce drug-related deaths.Benzodiazepines are medicines commonly prescribed to treat anxiety and sleep problems in the short term. However, their use alongside opioids such as heroin is widespread among people who use street drugs, and this combination has been strongly linked to the high rate of drug-related deaths.While opioid dependency can be safely managed through opioid agonist treatment (OAT) with methadone or buprenorphine, there is currently no equivalent treatment for people dependent on benzodiazepines. This gap in care has contributed to the increasing use of unpredictable and often dangerous street-sourced benzodiazepines, which can contain unknown or highly potent substances, and are associated with blackouts, overdose, and death.The University of Stirling-led trial builds on previous research that developed a new intervention co-designed with people who have lived experience of benzodiazepine use, and with clinicians. Participants will receive either a new intervention or standard care, with outcomes including drug use, overdoses, hospital admissions, and treatment acceptability. There is a real need for clinically based research within this population which are stigmatised and under researched. They should have the same access to evidence-based treatment options available across other areas of healthcare in the UK.One of the aims of this research is to address that lack of evidence in such a key area of risk relating to drug-related deaths. It will inform clinical guidance for drug treatment services that have struggled to support people using multiple substances due to the lack of evidence. If successful it will contribute to reducing drug-related deaths which are a societal challenge.Furthermore, the associated health economic analysis will provide evidence of the most cost-effective treatment option. This is essential for ensuring public money is spent appropriately. By providing clear clinical and cost effectiveness data our trial will provide commissioners and policymakers with direction of what services should be commissioned and how. Professor Catriona Matheson University of Stirling’s Centre for Healthcare and Community Research (CHeCR) and study lead Researchers will also assess the cost-effectiveness of the intervention to ensure the findings can inform future service design and policy decisions.The £2.6m trial has been funded by the Health Technology Assessment programme of the National Institute for Health Research, in response to a commissioned call. It follows a successful feasibility study funded by the Scottish Government Chief Scientist Office.The research brings together a multidisciplinary team from across the UK, including the Universities of Stirling, Aberdeen, Bristol, Lancaster, and Edinburgh, and clinicians from several Scottish health boards.Further informationStirling launches clinical trial to tackle street benzodiazepine use and drug-related deaths | University of Stirling Publication date 13 Nov, 2025
