Om foredraget
Opioid use disorder is a chronic condition that is associated with physical, social, and mental outcomes that are burdensome to the individual and to society. Opioid maintenance treatment (OMT) includes the use of long-acting opioids that prevent withdrawal symptoms and reduce opioid cravings. The treatment is effective, and has been found to improve patients’ quality of life, and reduce the risk of fatal overdoses, infections, and criminal behavior. Still, not all patients benefit equally from the same treatment, and retention rates can vary substantially.
Today there are more medication options available in OMT than ever before. Starting in 2022, heroin-assisted treatment became one of the newest available treatment options in Norway. Heroin-assisted treatment includes the supervised use of pharmaceutical heroin in a clinical setting. This can be considered as among the most intensive treatment options, requiring twice-daily clinic visits.
This presentation will explore how this treatment option fits into the spectrum of available medications, highlighting some findings from the first two years of the heroin-assisted treatment pilot project.
Desiree Eide
Desiree Eide is a researcher at SERAF. Her interests include heroin-assisted treatment, overdose prevention with take-home naloxone, safe consumption rooms, and evaluation research.