Suchergebnisse

This article assesses changes over 10 years in the role of pharmacies in the care of drug misusers – needle/syringe provision and methadone treatment supervision – in the Swiss French-speaking Canton of Vaud (636,000 inhabitants, 238 pharmacies). A review of data collected in four surveys (1991, 1994, 1996, 2003) on the provision of sterile material (and methadone treatment supervision in 2003) including all the pharmacists of the Canton of Vaud was conducted, as well as a review of data of the monitoring of needle exchange programmes introduced since 1996 in this canton, and of methadone treatment statistics. In 2003, interviews with pharmacists complemented the survey. Pharmacies play an important role in the 'frontline' services to drug misusers: the provision of needles/syringes to drug users by pharmacies remains important in spite of a decrease in the provision of sterile material by them since the advent of needle exchange programmes, and they are included in the supervision of two thirds of the methadone treatments. However, they do not feel integrated enough in the network of care to drug misusers and ask for more training and better recognition of their role.

Using data from the Public Health Service, we studied the demographic and clinical characteristics of 1,782 patients enrolled in methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) during 2001 in the Swiss Canton of Vaud, comparing our findings with the results of a previous study from 1976 to 1986. In 2001, most patients (76.9%) were treated in general practice. Mortality is low in this MMT population (1%/year). While patient age and sex profiles were similar to those found in the earlier study, we did observe a substantial increase in the number of patients and the number of practitioners treating MMT patients, probably reflecting the low-threshold governmental policies and the creation of specialized centers. In conclusion, easier access to MMT enhances the number of patients, but new concerns about the quality of management emerge: benzodiazepine as a concomitant prescription; low rates of screening for hepatitis B, C and HIV, and social and psychiatric preoccupations.

The study is part of the evaluation of measures to reduce the problems associated with the use of illegal drugs in Switzerland (mandate of the Federal Office of Public Health in Bern).
The national customer survey of low-threshold facilities providing injection equipment, conducted in 1993, 1994, 1996 and 2000, provides information on the demographic characteristics and social integration of dependent consumers as well as the substances consumed and the mode of administration used by consumers of this type of facilities.

The study is part of the evaluation of measures to reduce the problems associated with the use of illegal drugs in Switzerland (mandate of the Federal Office of Public Health in Bern).
The national customer survey of low-threshold facilities providing injection equipment, conducted in 1993, 1994, 1996 and 2000, provides information on the demographic characteristics and social integration of dependent consumers as well as the substances consumed and the mode of administration used by consumers of this type of facilities.

The study is part of the evaluation of measures to reduce the problems associated with the use of illegal drugs in Switzerland (mandate of the Federal Office of Public Health in Bern).
The national customer survey of low-threshold facilities providing injection equipment, conducted in 1993, 1994, 1996 and 2000, provides information on the demographic characteristics and social integration of dependent consumers as well as the substances consumed and the mode of administration used by consumers of this type of facilities.

The study is part of the evaluation of measures to reduce the problems associated with the use of illegal drugs in Switzerland (mandate of the Federal Office of Public Health in Bern).
The national customer survey of low-threshold facilities providing injection equipment, conducted in 1993, 1994, 1996 and 2000, provides information on the demographic characteristics and social integration of dependent consumers as well as the substances consumed and the mode of administration used by consumers of this type of facilities.