Reduction of HIV transmission through drug-dependence treatment

Overview

Substitution treatment entails the administration under medical supervision of a prescribed medicine with similar action to the drug of dependence. Such treatment is available for the management of a range of substance dependence syndromes. Nicotine replacement therapy for tobacco smokers is the most widely used substitution treatment. However, most substitution programmes targeting illicit drug users are primarily for opioid-dependent persons. Medicines prescribed for substitution treatment are used for both medium-term to long-term maintenance and detoxification or withdrawal. Maintenance programmes involve the provision of a prescribed medicine for a long period of time, usually more than six months. Detoxification programmes tend to be linked with longer-term non-pharmacological drug treatment. They continue for periods ranging from about 10 days to a few months and substitute drugs are prescribed in decreasing doses until a drugfree state has been reached.