Regarding minimum quality standards in drug demand reduction in the European Union
Bibliography: Interventions – Treatment
Improving access to, and completion of, hepatitis C treatment
This briefing provides an overview of the key issues that local providers and commissioners of drug and hepatitis treatment should consider (PHE)
World Drug Report 2015
UNODC
National opioid pharmacotherapy statistics 2014
On a snapshot day in 2014, over 48,000 clients received pharmacotherapy treatment for their opioid dependence at 2,432 dosing points around Australia (AIHW)
Alcohol and other drug treatment services in Australia 2013–14
Over the 5 years from 2009–10, there has been an increase in the proportion of episodes where amphetamines were the principal drug on concern (from 7% to 17%) and an increase in smoking/inhaling as the method of administration for amphetamines. A majority of treatment episodes had a duration of three months or less, and counselling remains the most common treatment type (AIHW)
Position paper on the provision of low threshold residential stabilisation services in Ireland
(Ana Liffey drug project)
Methadone Dose-capping Still Continues in Practice, If Not in Policy
Dose-capping – limiting the amount of methadone a patient can take on a daily basis – was ruled “contrary to the current state of the medical literature and the principle of individualized treatment” in 2007 by SAMHSA in the Federal Guidelines for Opioid Treatment. So it’s surprising that it still goes on (ATF)
20 year report on Needle and Syringe Program attendees in Australia
The report presents national and jurisdictional data from the Australian Needle and Syringe Program Survey from 1995 to 2014. Around two thirds of Australia’s primary Needle and Syringe Program services participate in the survey and program attendees have participated on more than 45,000 occasions (The Kirby Institute, UNSW Australia)
IMO launches major policy paper on Addiction and Dependency
The paper addresses a range of issues including prevention and treatment issues (Irish Medical Organisation)
The misuse of benzodiazepines among high-risk opioid users in Europe
As we describe below, available evidence shows that the misuse of benzodiazepines contributes to morbidity and mortality among high-risk opioid users (EMCDDA)
Global policy and access to new hepatitis C therapies for people who inject drugs
This review outlines policy recommendations made in the 2014 World Health Organisation (WHO) Guidelines on Screening, Care and Treatment of HCV and their relevance to PWID (Drug Policy)
Methadone continuation versus forced withdrawal on incarceration in a combined US prison and jail: a randomised, open-label trial
Continuation of methadone maintenance during incarceration could contribute to greater treatment engagement after release, which could in turn reduce the risk of death from overdose and risk behaviours (The Lancet)
What Interventions Are Needed for Women and Girls Who Use Drugs? A Global Perspective
Women and girls who inject drugs are more likely than their male counterparts to acquire HIV. In addition to criminalization, punitive laws, and social stigma that puts all injecting drug users at increased risk, women are made even more vulnerable by social, economic, and culturally embedded power imbalances (JAIDS)
National Forum on Drug-related Deaths Scotland
This report reviews the impact of the Forum during 2014 and looks ahead by setting out recommendations that seek to reduce the numbers at risk (SFAD)
A successful approach to tackling drug-related crime
This research and policy briefing reminds us of a few key findings from RAPt’s research and experience (RAPT)
Substance misuse and mental health in prison
This research and policy briefing describes the worrying extent of mental health problems amongst prisoners, and the close correlation between mental health conditions such as depression and post traumatic stress disorders, and substance misuse (RAPT)
National Treatment Indicators Report
This fourth NTI report provides 2012–2013 fiscal-year data from six provinces, one territory and one provincial association and has expanded its scope to include information on the primary substance for which treatment was sought. The report also includes information on the total number of hospital stays related to substance use disorders and their associated costs. (CCSA)
The Australian life in recovery survey
A total of 573 forms were completed and entered directly online or subsequently entered by the research team at Turning Point (Turning Point,)
Emergency department treatment for opioid addiction better than referrals
The first known randomized trial comparing three treatment strategies for opioid-dependent patients receiving emergency care has been conducted by researchers who found that patients given the medication buprenorphine were more likely to engage in addiction treatment and reduce their illicit opioid use (Science Daily)
Effectiveness of Computer-Assisted Therapy for Substance Dependence Using Breaking Free Online
Subgroup Analyses of a Heterogeneous Sample of Service Users (JMIR)