Opioid substitution treatment in Finland and other Nordic countries: Established treatment, varying practices

Substitution treatment programmes were launched in Finland in 1997 in response to the increase of HIV infections in the 1990s, related to increasing abuse of opioids and other drugs. Since then, the objectives and practices of treatment have been under continuous change in our country. Recent develo...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nordisk alkohol- & narkotikatidskrift : NAT 2015-06, Vol.32 (3), p.311-324
Main Authors: Selin, Jani, Perälä, Riikka, Stenius, Kerstin, Partanen, Airi, Rosenqvist, Pia, Alho, Hannu
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Drug abuse
Narcotics
Social services
Substance abuse treatment
Welfare
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Summary:Substitution treatment programmes were launched in Finland in 1997 in response to the increase of HIV infections in the 1990s, related to increasing abuse of opioids and other drugs. Since then, the objectives and practices of treatment have been under continuous change in our country. Recent developments, such as establishing harm reduction-oriented substitution treatment as an option to rehabilitation, has raised some concern about treatment becoming routine-like administration of medication without the psychosocial rehabilitation that constitutes the foundation for substance abuse treatment. In addition, the general pressure to improve the cost-efciency of substance abuse services has given rise to concern, as this is considered to lead to too limited treatment practices. However, knowledge of the actual developments of opioid substitution treatment is still fragmentary.
ISSN:1455-0725
1458-6126
DOI:10.1515/nsad-2015-0028