Table HSR-7. Estimated number of clients in methadone treatment and of clients receiving any opioid substitution in EU-27 and Norway, 2003 and 2005

Notes:

 See overview of national registration systems of substitution treatment in Table HSR-10. 

 Where data are not available for a country, the table entry is left empty. 

 Detoxification treatment has as far as possible been excluded from the data. 

 If not mentioned otherwise, data refer to individuals receiving treatment in the reporting year. 

 (1) Estimate for 2003 based on client numbers in 2001/2002 and 2005 (mean). From 2005 onwards, data from substitution register are available. Foreign clients treated in Belgium (mainly French) not included.  

 (2) For 2005, data from psychiatric outpatient units were not available. Data for 2005 are an estimate, based on the most recent data available from such units. 

 (3) Data refer to clients in long-term (> 5 months) methadone treatment and do not include clients treated in prisons. 

 (4) Census data 1 July (national substitution register). 

 (5) Ireland data on methadone treatment clients in prison not included. These were 1477 cases in 2003 and 1295 in 2005. 

 (6) In 2003, further 13 clients were prescribed naltrexone, bringing the total of clients receiving medically assisted treatment to 2306.  

 (7) Data do not include substitution treatment provided to drug users in prisons (around 20,000 treatments per year). 

 (8) Data for France: OFDT estimations, based on data survey on substitute prescribing performed by the Institut de Veille Sanitaire and on social security reimbursement statistics for substitution medications, personal communication T. Canarelli 12 March 2007. 

 (9) In 2003, based on data from 520 out of 562 SerT. 2005 data based on national survey. 

 (10) In Cyprus, 85 clients received methadone detoxification treatment in 2005. 

 (11) 2005 data for all substitution cases include 81 Finnish drug users who receive buprenorphine prescriptions in Latvia.  

 (12) 2005 data include buprenorphine clients at GPs. 

 (13) Only clients registered at centralised methadone dispensing unit who received prescriptions for more than 3 months. Prison, GPs not included. 

 (14) Only clients in outpatient addiction care included. 

 (15) A distinction of cases by substance is not possible in Austria. 

 (16) Methadone data based on census of treatment provided by public treatment system (CATs). Clients treated under responsibility of Prison Services (345 in 2003 and 271 in 2005) not included. Information on overall number of clients in substitution reflects treatment episodes. 

 (17) Number of patients receiving substitution treatment in outpatient Centers for Prevention and Treatment of Drug Addiction (CPTDAs). Substitution treatment provided to drug users in prisons not included (334 in 2003 and 382 in 2005). Personal communication Andrej Kastelic, 15 March 2006.  

 (18) Data for 2005: Personal communication L Okruhlica, 14 March 2007. 

 (19) For 2005, estimated proportion of methadone clients among all substitution clients in Finland as reported by Partanen A, (2006) Development of Low Threshold Services, Hapkohet No. 5, 2006, pp 58-59. Ratio reported in NR 2005 p. 74. 

 (20) Basis for client number estimates are the official UK Government Statistics on the number of individuals in contact with structured treatment according to National Drug Treatment Monitoring System (www.ndtms.net) and refer to UK fiscal years (April 1st -March 31st).  

 (21) Client number estimates for England are not formally authorised by the UK Government. The data on 2003, 2004 and 2005 are based on results of a recent prescribing audit (Best and Campbell, 2006, see: Sources).  

Sources:

 Standard tables 24 on 'Treatment availability' submitted by NFPs in 2004 and 2006 and Reitox national reports. 

 Best D and Campbell A (2006) Summary of the NTA's national prescribing audit. NTA Research Briefing 19, June 2006.