Table HSR-2. Legal framework of opioid substitution treatment initiation, continuation and dispensing (by substitution medication) in EU-27, Croatia, Turkey and Norway [see all tables in this series...]

Part (i) Legal framework regarding the initiation of OST by substitution medication

Country		METHADONE						HIGH DOSAGE BUPRENORPHINE						BUPRENORPHINE-NALOXONE COMBINATION						SLOW-RELEASE MORPHINE
		medical doctors at specialised drug treatment centres	specialised medical doctors	any medical doctor	other provider			medical doctors at specialised drug treatment centres	specialised medical doctors	any medical doctor	other provider			medical doctors at specialised drug treatment centres	specialised medical doctors	any medical doctor	other provider			medical doctors at specialised drug treatment centres	specialised medical doctors	any medical doctor	other provider
Belgium (Flemish community)		Y	Y	Y				Y	Y
Belgium (French community)		Y		Y						Y						Y
Bulgaria		Y			Y	(iii)														Y			Y	(iii)
Czech Republic		Y						Y		Y				Y		Y
Denmark			Y	Y	Y	(i)			Y	Y	Y	(i)			Y	Y	Y	(i)
Germany		Y	Y	Y				Y	Y	Y				Y	Y	Y
Estonia		Y						Y						Y
Ireland		Y	Y					Y			Y			Y
Greece		Y						Y						Y
Spain	(1)	Y												Y
France		Y			Y	(ii)		Y	Y	Y												Y
Italy		Y		Y				Y		Y				Y		Y				Y		Y
Cyprus					Y	(ii)				Y	Y	(ii)					Y	(ii)					Y	(ii)
Latvia		Y						Y						Y
Lithuania		Y			Y	(iii)		Y			Y	(iii)		Y			Y	(iii)
Luxembourg		Y	Y					Y	Y					Y	Y					Y	Y
Hungary		Y												Y
Malta
Netherlands		Y	Y	Y	Y	(iv)		Y	Y	Y				Y	Y	Y				Y	Y	Y
Austria		Y	Y					Y	Y											Y	Y
Poland		Y
Portugal		Y	Y					Y	Y	Y				Y	Y	Y
Romania		Y		Y										Y		Y
Slovenia		y	Y						Y		Y	(i)			Y						Y
Slovakia		Y						Y						Y
Finland		Y						Y						Y
Sweden
Uk		Y	Y	Y	Y	(i)		Y	Y	Y	Y	(i)		Y	Y	Y	Y	(i)		Y	Y	Y	Y	(i)
Croatia
Turkey	(2)
Norway		Y						Y						Y

Notes:

 "Y" indicates whether a specific provider is involved in initiating opioid substitution treatment.                                      

 Where a specific provider is not allowed to initiate a specfic treatment, the table entry is left empty. Exception for Malta, Sweden and Croatia for which data were not available .                                     

 "Specialized medical doctors" refers to specifically trained or accredited office-based medical doctors or general practitioners practicing outside specialised drug treatment centres.                                     

 "Any medical doctor" refers to office-based medical doctors practicing outside specialised drug treatment centres.                                     

 (1) In Spain, high dosage buprenorphine is not commercially available.                       

 (2) In Turkey opioid substitution treatment strategy is not available                         

 Other providers:                                                 

 (i) Prison and probation services                                           

 (ii) Doctors based in public hospitals                                           

 (iii) Psychiatrists                                           

 (iv) Medical nurses                                           

 See also 'General notes for interpreting data' on the Explanatory notes and help page.                       

Sources:

 Structured Questionnaire on 'treatment programmes' (SQ27P1), submitted by NFPs in 2005 and 2008.                       

 Answers from the legal correspondents of the European Legal Database on Drugs (ELDD) to a EMCDDA survey on the legal framework of substitution treatment (2006). See also ELDD topic overview.                         

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