Opioid substitution therapy for mental health and substance abuse patients

Opioid dependence is a long-term illness, and its treatment is therefore long-term, goal-oriented and systematic. The aim of opioid replacement therapy may be to rehabilitate the patient to a life free from intoxicants or to reduce the harm caused by substance abuse. The objective for the treatment may also be somewhere between them. The objective for the treatment is set together with you and is taken into account in the planning of the treatment. In addition to the medical treatment of opioid dependence, the opioid replacement therapy also includes support for health and life management. A treatment plan will be drawn up with you to agree on work to support your well-being and to support and promote the improvement in your quality of life. Rehabilitative work includes, for example, detoxification discussions and practising various skills in your everyday environment. The treatment plan is updated on a regular basis and whenever the objective for the treatment changes, for example. Opioid replacement therapy is provided in the outpatient care units of the mental health and substance abuse services. The safe start of the medical treatment requires daily visits to the treatment facility. The treatment can also be started in an institution if your health or life management situation so requires. This may be the case if your physical condition is weak or you need to withdraw from other intoxicants in an institution, for example.

Conditions for receiving the Service

Opioid replacement therapy can be started if you are diagnosed with an addiction to opioids (the ICDC-10 classification) and you are willing to withdraw from them, but detoxification has not been successful with other detoxification measures. Opioid replacement therapy is a form of medical care, which means that the decision on starting and implementing the care is made on care-related and medical grounds. The replacement therapy for opioid addiction is governed by the 33/2008 decree of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health.

The service is partly subject to a charge.