Dr Fergus Law is a Consultant Psychiatrist specialising in substance misuse and addiction psychiatry. His career combines clinical medicine, psychopharmacology, opioid treatment, detoxification, research and long-term recovery planning.
He is currently Psychiatric Lead at PsychInsight and has more than three decades of experience across addiction psychiatry, including extensive work within NHS and NHS-commissioned services.
Dr Law holds qualifications in both psychology and medicine and qualified in medicine in 1985.
He has worked as a Consultant Psychiatrist specialising in substance misuse since 2001 and worked within British NHS and NHS-commissioned services until 2023.
His work has included clinical treatment, psychiatric assessment, psychopharmacology, opioid dependence, detoxification and complex co-occurring mental-health problems.
Stabilisation, detoxification, medication options and relapse-prevention strategies.
Pharmacological strategies and structured pathways for withdrawal from substances of dependence.
Benzodiazepines, Z-drugs, gabapentinoids and medication-related dependence.
Combining medication with psychological, behavioral and social recovery interventions.
Began a medical career built on a background spanning both psychology and medicine.
Began working at consultant level with a specialist focus on substance misuse.
Worked in NHS and NHS-commissioned consultant services through 2023.
Works in private psychiatric practice as Psychiatric Lead at PsychInsight.
A recurring theme throughout Dr Law's academic work is that safely stopping a substance is only one stage of treatment. Stabilisation, withdrawal and relapse prevention have different clinical purposes.
His published work also emphasizes that pharmacological treatment and psychosocial support should work together. Medication can help create stability, but lasting recovery also involves behavior, relationships, psychological health and the environment to which a patient returns.
Search the selection below by subject. Each publication links to an external academic, publisher or journal record.
A detailed review of the clinical pharmacology, evidence and practical use of buprenorphine in opioid dependence.
View on PubMed →Clinical evidence review examining stabilisation, detoxification and relapse-prevention approaches for opioid dependence.
View on PubMed →An updated clinical evidence review examining treatment stages including stabilisation, withdrawal and relapse prevention.
View on PubMed →Reviews pharmacological approaches to withdrawal from opioids, alcohol, benzodiazepines, stimulants, cannabis and nicotine.
View Publication →A randomized controlled trial comparing medication strategies during community opioid stabilisation and detoxification.
View on PubMed →Evaluated a structured outpatient opioid detoxification pathway using buprenorphine and lofexidine.
View Journal Archive →A specialist chapter addressing dependence associated with benzodiazepines, Z-drugs and gabapentinoids.
View at Cambridge →Clinical guidance for practitioners addressing benzodiazepines and other hypnotic and anxiolytic medications in primary care.
View Guidance →The studies below concern naltrexone implants and sustained-release treatment. They are provided as related scientific literature and should not be interpreted as publications authored by Dr Law.
Naltrexone itself is an established medication used in opioid and alcohol use disorders. Implant formulations are separate delivery systems with formulation-specific evidence, pharmacokinetics and regulatory status.
A randomized trial compared a six-month naltrexone implant with usual aftercare following inpatient opioid treatment.
Read on PubMed →A six-month randomized trial involving 306 opioid-dependent participants examined sustained-release implant treatment against oral naltrexone and placebo.
Read on PubMed →Peer-reviewed review covering implant pharmacology, safety, clinical evidence and the challenge of medication adherence.
Read on PubMed →A completed U.S. pharmacokinetic and safety study investigated sustained naltrexone release from the OLANI formulation in healthy volunteers.
View Clinical Trial →Dr Law presented on medical and pharmaceutical approaches to addiction recovery, including emerging drugs and devices, at the British Doctors & Dentists Group annual convention.
View Presentation →Dr Law has also contributed to professional psychopharmacology education, including teaching on the management of benzodiazepine misuse.
View Professional Programme →Dr Law's published work repeatedly distinguishes detoxification from longer-term relapse prevention.
This is relevant to DeBinge's approach: naltrexone is considered one component of a broader programme rather than being presented as a complete solution on its own.
Clinical assessment, appropriate preparation, medication where suitable, and continued psychological and behavioral support each have different roles in the recovery process.
If you are considering long-acting naltrexone, begin with an individual medical assessment and ask questions about suitability, preparation, alternatives, expected duration and ongoing recovery support.
Talk with our team about your situation, treatment suitability and travelling to Nassau.
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