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Substitution Treatment of
Opioid Users
in Prison Institutions
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Levan Jorbenadze |
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Legal Advisor/Attorney
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March 29, 2009 |
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On December 8, 2008 with the
support of international
donor organizations the
first substitution treatment
for opioid users started in
Tbilisi, which than for years
paved the way throughout
Georgia and for 25 December
of 2008 it has been launched
in prison institutions.
Georgia shared the
experience of European Union
member states and took the
progressive step for the aim
of
reintegration of prisoners
who use opioid drugs. The
treatment program will be
financed with state, local,
charity and private
resources.
The joint order of 12-15
December, 2008 of
the
Ministers of Labor,
Health and Social protection
and Justice have created the
basis norms of substitution
treatment in prison
institutions.
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The
goal and the tasks of substation
treatment are: |
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a) the
ipioid users' health and
psychological
improvement; |
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b)
prevention of HIV infection,
viral hepatitis and other
infections; |
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c)
stable remission achievement in
patients with the help of
substitution treatment and
medical-social rehabilitation;
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d)
injecting way of drug use
prevention and improvement of
psychological-somatic condition; |
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e)
awareness raising of injecting
drug users in the field of
health improvement and medical
examination; and raising the
treatment motivation |
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In order to be
eligible a person should be 18
years old, diagnosed as
dependent on opioids (an active
dependence) and satisfying one
of the below mentioned criteria: |
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√ HIV/AIDS
infected; |
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√
Pregnant; |
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√ Prior
involvement in the Methadone
substitution treatment; |
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√ Infected
with viral hepatitis,
tuberculoses and parental born
infections or/and having other
health related exaggerated
difficulties |
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Every patient has
an individual prescribed
treatment which is compiled by
doctor and has a confirmation of
special “Medical-Counseling
Commission”. An individual
treatment program is conceded
with patients who in his turn
signs the contract with the
other side as mentioned
“Medical-Counseling Commission”.
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A patient can be excluded from
the program if one breaches the
contract obligations - for
example: breaches the treatment
regime; using drugs without a
doctor’s prescription; performs
incorrect activities against the
medical stuff and is reluctant
to the prescribed treatment.
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The period of Opioid substation
treatment is divided till one,
six or more than six month. The
types of Opioid substation
treatment are: i) short term
detoxication no more than one
moth with the substitutive drug;
ii) long term detoxication with
decreasing the
doses of substitutive drug -
more than one month; iii) short
term substitutive maintenance
treatment with a stable doses of
substitution drugs no more than
six months; iiii) long term
substitutive maintenance
treatment with a stable doses of
substitution drugs more than six
months.
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Legal Consultation Service |
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