Maintenance Programs for Treatment of Heroin Addicts in Post-war Bosnia and Herzegovina

2009 ◽  
Vol 24 (S1) ◽  
pp. 1-1
Author(s):  
M. Hasanović ◽  
I. Pajević

Methadone maintenance program in Bosnia-Herzegovina (BH) has been introduced in Sarajevo for the first time in 1989 year. During the war years 1992-95, only sporadic cases of drug addicts, because of overdosing or because of toxic psychotic states were treated. Number of addicts increased in BH, especially after the war, and needed adequate solution of the problem as well as use of the experiences from the other countries that faced us before, "epidemy" of addictions. One of the solutions for harm reduction caused by use of opioid substances, primarily heroin, was use of methadone, which is a good replacement pharmacological. After opening the Unit for drug addiction in year 2000 in Sarajevo, the methadone program of detoxifying and maintenance was re-established in 2002. Nowadays in BH high-threshold methadone program is used in five centres, in accordance with the criteria for European guides for methadone therapy. In addition to the subject of methadone programs, there are serious preparations for the use of Suboxone (Buprenorphine+Naloxone) in BH. The basic component of medicine (Buprenorphine) was placed on the essential list of the World Health Organisation (WHO) in September 2005. In BH, this drug was registered 18.12.2007 year. At the Clinic for Psychiatry in Tuzla, the establishing of Suboxone maintenance program was planned for the autumn of 2008.

2017 ◽  
Vol 74 (5) ◽  
pp. 435-444
Author(s):  
Mirjana Marinkovic ◽  
Lidija Djordjevic-Jovanovic ◽  
Snezana Miljkovic ◽  
Bobana Milojkovic ◽  
Vladimir Janjic

Background/Aim. Although the characteristics of the treatment are the most researched determinants of quality of life of opiate addicts, it is indisputable that there is a certain influence of the characteristics of addicts and addiction, too. The aim of this study was to determine which addicts characteristics, as well as the characteristics of the addiction and treatment have predicative influence on the quality of life of the opiate addicts treated in the methadone maintenance program and those treated with buprenorphine. Methods. The epidemiological cross-sectional study was carried out in 2013 at the Clinical Center Nis, on a total of 64 opiate addicts, both sexes, aged 18 and older (32 addicts in the methadone program, chosen by random selection, and 32 addicts treated with buprenorphine, matched by sex and age). Necessary data were collected in a ?face to face? interview with the examinees, based on the autonomous kind of a questionnaire, together with the use of the standardized World Health Organization (WHO) instruments: for health status, for the level of severity of addiction and for the quality of life measuring) based on which the health index (EQ-5D), Addiction Severity Index (ASI) and the quality of life index (WHOQOL-BREF) were calculated. The data were described by the methods of descriptive statistics, while the differences between groups were analyzed by applying ?2 and t-test. Multiple regressions were used to determine the predictors. Results. The addicts in the methadone program showed much worse perception of quality of life than those treated in another way, although, according to the values of quality of life, they did not differ significantly. The most numerous predictors of the level of quality of life were health characteristics, characteristics of the socioeconomic position of the examinees, as well as different consequences of addiction. The influence of treatment was less noticeable. Participating in the methadone program had predicative influence on perception and the level of quality of life of the addicts in mental area and that of the environment. The influence of the characteristics of methadone treatment in physical and social area was insignificant. Conclusion. Variations in the perception and level of the quality of life of opiate addicts in different areas cannot be explained using only one predictor. The number of determining variables is large, and its impact complex.


1981 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. El-Guebaly ◽  
W.J. Davidson ◽  
H.A. Sures ◽  
W. Griffin

An overview is presented of the status of human saliva as a clinical monitoring medium in medicine and psychiatry. Despite the present controversy about the reliability of saliva lithium levels, an evaluation of the prospects of saliva for other pharmacokinetic estimations as well is recommended. The second part of the paper outlines the authors’ attempt to expand the use of saliva monitoring in a depot neuroleptic clinic and a methadone maintenance program. This technique, well accepted by the patient populations, is found useful as a screening tool for drug use and compliance can be checked. It can also be indicated prior to the evaluation of the toxicity of prescribed medication as well as the assessment of drug interaction. On humanitarian, clinical and economical grounds, further investigation of the clinical applications of saliva in psychiatric practice is warranted.


CMAJ Open ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. E431-E435 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michel Landry ◽  
Nadia Veilleux ◽  
Julie-Eve Arseneault ◽  
Saneea Abboud ◽  
André Barrieau ◽  
...  

1981 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 107-115
Author(s):  
Donald Melancon ◽  
Clyde Pankey

The Kankakee Drug Abuse Rehabilitation Center had observed for about four years the vocational aspiration of clients who were on the methadone maintenance program. Specifically, their vocational behavior was somewhat unstable and involved poor vocational self-concepts and unstable work histories. Therefore, the Center in 1978 employed a Mental Health Consultant to work with the counselors to assess the vocational interest of clients and to intervene and significantly impact those individuals whose work histories were still erratic. As a result of the Center's efforts, it was concluded (after comparing 15 months of baseline data) that the clients were making some progress in attempting to seek and maintain jobs as well as evaluating their relationship to the present job position. The number of clients changing jobs and seeking new employment, however, did not change.


2008 ◽  
Vol 3 (2-4) ◽  
pp. 37-51 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michel Perreault ◽  
Michel Rousseau ◽  
Pierre Lauzon ◽  
Céline Mercier ◽  
Isabelle Tremblay ◽  
...  

2005 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 097-104 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank Musshoff ◽  
Katrin Lachenmeier ◽  
Dirk W. Lachenmeier ◽  
Heike Wollersen ◽  
Burkhard Madea

1972 ◽  
Vol 55 (4) ◽  
pp. 880-887
Author(s):  
M Sansur ◽  
A Buccafuri ◽  
S Morgenstern

A sensitive and specific automated method for the fluorometric determination of morphine in urine was developed. The analysis is performed at a rate of 40 samples/hr. The method is based on the oxidation of morphine to the fluorescent pseudo-morphine dimer. Morphine is extracted from urine at pH 9.4 with a mixture of organic solvents. The organic phase is washed with a dilute buffer at pH 9.4 and is further extracted with a dilute alkaline solution. Following the third extraction step, 2 equal portions of the alkali phase are buffered to pH 9.4. Potassium ferricyanide solution is added to the sample segment and water is added to the “blank” segment. Each of these solutions enters a separate fluorometer and the fluorescence is recorded. An increment in fluorescence of the sample as compared to the blank indicates the presence of morphine. Concentrations as low as 0.2 μg free morphine/ml urine are easily detected. Five hundred subjects from a Methadone Maintenance Program have been tested. Results show excellent agreement with determinations on the same samples by thin layer chromatography.


1993 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 411 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Torrens ◽  
L. San ◽  
E. Garrell ◽  
C. Castillo ◽  
A. Martinez ◽  
...  

1971 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 38-43
Author(s):  
R. R. Knowles ◽  
Gina Anderson

1992 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 346-350 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olaf H. Drummer ◽  
Kenneth Opeskin ◽  
Marie Syrjanen ◽  
Stephen M. Cordner

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