About Exchange Health Information

Exchange health information is a small independent publisher of health related information run by Andrew Preston, a qualified nurse and experienced writer. The enterprise began in 1989 with a project to rewrite ‘What Works?’ (the first users’ guide to reducing the risks of injecting illicit drugs) for publication as a nationally available resource, whilst on a student nurse training placement with Exeter Drugs Project.

Since then Other books and publications have followed, including guides for illicit drug users on methadone treatment, safer injecting, opiate detox and rehabilitation; the popular What &Why? guides for people who want to understand illicit drug use; text books for health professionals on methadone prescribing and promoting safer injecting and, most recently, a resource to help GPs help smokers to stop.

Exchange publications on illicit drugs related issues are sold by DrugScope - the UKs leading national drug information service.

In 1999 the idea for developing a resource which had information for health professionals and tear-off information leaflets for patients grew from the recognition that too often patients were receiving the right verbal or written information, but not the two together.

Discussing the idea with Andy McEwen, a research nurse at St. George's Hospital Medical School Psychology department, led to the development of the intervention pad for GPs, to assist them in making smoking cessation interventions with their patients.