Workshop on prevention, treatment of opiate addiction and harm reduction held

In the scope of activities related to Negotiation Chapter 28, Policy and Legal Advice Centre (PLAC III) project has provided support to the Ministry of Health in the establishing unique methodology in the prevention and treatment of opiate addicts as well as in harmonising national legislation with Union acquis.

Project experts presented the results of their work at a workshop held on 15 December 2020. The workshop was  attended by the representatives of the Ministry of Health and health institutions specialised in drug addiction treatment.

PLAC III project expert Dr Marta Sjeničić presented a review of national legislation related to the reduction of harm associated with drug dependence (infectious and other diseases) and the possibilities for transposition of Union acquis (Council Recommendation on the prevention and reduction of health-related harm associated with drug dependence, of 2003). Project expert Dr Fivos Papamalis presented the gap analysis of the level of harmonisation of the national legislation which includes the Law on Controlled Psychoactive Substances and the Draft rulebook on the treatment of opiate addicts with the administration of substitution therapy. He also presented the quality standards that should be established in Serbia in the prevention and treatment of opiate addicts as well as in harm reduction.

The recommendations of the project experts for the harmonization of legislation refer to the amendments to the Rulebook on the treatment of opiate addicts with the application of substitution therapy. A series of measures to reduce the damage should be explicitly stated not only in the strategy for the treatment of addiction, but also prescribed by the Rulebook, said Sjeničić.

The head of the Department for psychoactive controlled substances and precursors in the Ministry of Health, Dr Jelena Janković, said that substitution therapy with methadone has been under implementation in Serbia since 1970, and with naloxone since 2010. She pointed out that the Ministry is ready to implement the recommendations made in the framework of the support of the PLAC III project for the development of the Rulebook. The goals of the Ministry are building and raising the awareness of the community, said Janković.

The workshop was also attended by representatives of the civil sector. The representative of the Prevent Association, Nebojsa Durasovic, assessed that it was necessary to introduce standardization in the field of treatment of opiate addicts, to implement licensing of harm reduction programs and to adopt a bylaw that would follow all of those steps.

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