ABSTRACT
Drug dependency is more common in men than women but the prevalence seems now to be increasing in women. It is well recognised that women may be reluctant to access treatment, often because of fear of the consequences for their children and a general mistrust of services. Pregnancy is one of many life events for a drug-misusing woman and we consider that services should be provided for this vulnerable group in a flexible, accessible way with the objective of providing support and care to minimise the potential harm of dependent drug use for the pregnant woman and her developing foetus. Multi-agency co-operative working practices seem to us to be the best approach to meet the multiple needs of this general group.
