Dr Thomas Cormac Gilhooly

Email: drtom@glasgowsolution.com

Graduated from Glasgow University Medical School in 1983

Entered General Practice in Parkhead in Glasgow’s East End 1989

Became actively involved in management of addiction in practice and is now known nationally and internationally as an addiction expert.

Has published original research on methadone, ecstasy and the abuse of tranquillisers. He has also presented papers at national and international conferences on the subject.

In 1999 he became clinical director of the Lanarkshire Drug Service and was successful in greatly increasing the number of General Practices in Lanarkshire who offered substitution treatment to their patients.

In 2002 he became Medical Co- ordinator of the GP Methadone Programme in Glasgow and introduced omprehensive training for GPs on addiction. This programme was responsible for almost 6,000 patients and was admired throughout the world as an example of best practice. He is Visiting Medical Officer ( VMO) for three addiction projects run by the Charity Turning Point Scotland.

A career long interest in nutrition resulted in the founding of The Centre For Nutritional Studies Ltd in 2002 and Glasgow Health Solutions Ltd in 2005.
He advocates integrative medical approaches to health where natural treatments and nutritional assessment is central to management of medical conditions. He applies this in his daily General Practice and also in a private nutritional clinic which concentrates on multiple sclerosis. He is involved in several ongoing research projects including The Chinese Illness Perception Study and a study into bladder dysfunction in Multiple Sclerosis. He is also involved in fund raising for MS research.

Dr Tom is married with three children and two dogs.

News -

08/06/06 - A Glasgow doctor is helping addicts win their battle with heroin - and his secret weapon is fish.

“In what he describes as a holistic - whole person - approach to drug rehabilitation, Dr Gilhooly boosted their Omega 3 intake by getting them to sprinkle flax seeds on their porridge and take high-strength supplements.”

View the full article here.

Posts held -  

• GP Parkhead Health Centre from 1989
• VMO Glasgow Drug Crisis Centre from 1994
• VMO  Link
  Up from 1996
• VMO  218
  Bath Street from 2003
• Medical
  Co – ordinator Glasgow GP Scheme 2002 – 2005
• Clinical
  Director Lanarkshire Drug Service 1999 – 2002
• Managing Director The Centre
  For Nutritional Studies Ltd from 2003
• Managing Director Xodia Ltd from 2005
• Clinical Director Glasgow Health Solutions
  Ltd from 2005

Appointments -  

• Scottish Advisory Committee Drug Misuse 1995 – 2006
• Advisory Council
  Misuse Drugs (Technical Committee) 2005 – 2006
• Scottish
  Action on Substances 2000 – 2006
• Scottish
  Shared Care Network 2000 – 2005
• Medical Advisor Glasgow Association Family
  Support Groups 1998 – 2006
• Medical
  Advisor Medicor Healthcare Ltd
• SACDM
  Psychostimulant Working Party 2004
• Scottish
  Buprenorphine Advisory Group 2003 - 2005
• Medical
  Advisor LDN Research Trust 2005 - 2006
• Presentations –
• Methadone and Beyond – RCGP conference Edinburgh
  1996
• Blind
  Opiate Prescribing  - ERIT Conference – Bologna 1997
• Temazepam
  Withdrawal – RCGP Spring Meeting – Perth 1997
• Methadone
  Alliance Conference - London 1999
• ERIT Psychostimulant Conference – Paris
  2004
• Cocaine Addiction – ACPOS Conference  -  Dunblane
  2004
• High
  Dose Methadone – National Opiate Treatment Conference London 2004
• Buprenorphine
  in Crisis Centre – Europad Conference
  Paris 2005
• Buprenorphine in General Practice – RICGP Conference
  Dublin 2005                          

Publications –

• Reduction in use of temazepam is factor in deaths related to overdose.BMJ. 1997 Nov 29;315(7120):1463-4
• What happens when doctors stop prescribing temazepam?
  Use of alternative therapies.Br J Gen Pract. 1998 Sep;48(434):1601-2
• Misuse of diphenhydramine soft gel capsules
  (Sleepia): a cautionary tale from Glasgow.Addiction. 1999 Oct;94(10):1575-7
• CYP2D6 deficiency, a factor in ecstasy related
  deaths?Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2002 Jul;54(1):69-70
• Mortality in Methadone Maintainence
  Programme in Glasgow – Heroin and
  Related Clinical Problems 2005  ; 7(3):51 -52