The Czech Republic Annual Report 2010 Drug ... - Drogy-info.cz

Table 4-3: Estimates of problem drug use carried out using the multiplication method with the use of data from lowthreshold
programmes by region in 2005–2010, mean values (Mravčík et al. 2010; Národní monitorovací středisko pro
drogy a drogové závislosti, 2011d)
Region 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
Prague 9,800 8,400 10,000 11,500 10,400 11,350
Central Bohemia 2,500 2,450 1,700 1,750 2,400 2,150
South Bohemia 1,700 1,750 1,500 1,550 1,500 1,400
Pilsen 1,450 1,350 1,300 1,650 2,400 2,000
Karlovy Vary 1,450 1,250 900 1,000 1,200 900
Ústí nad Labem 4,450 4,450 4,100 4,150 5,300 4,900
Liberec 750 500 500 1,500 1,300 2,650
Hradec Králové 1,150 1,050 1,750 1,100 1,000 950
Pardubice 600 350 450 450 500 400
Vysočina 600 350 700 500 600 600
South Moravia 2,800 3,150 3,400 3,250 3,400 3,900
Olomouc 1,900 2,350 1,650 1,600 3,000 3,300
Zlín 1,150 1,300 1,850 1,350 2,400 2,350
Moravia-Silesia 1,500 1,450 1,100 1,150 2,000 2,350
The Czech
Republic
31,800 30,200 30,900 32,500 37,400 39,200
4.1.2 Estimate Based on a Survey among Physicians in the Czech Republic
In addition, the regular omnibus representative sociological survey among physicians in the Czech Republic was
conducted by INRES-SONES in November and December 2010. On the initiative of the National Focal Point, a
module with questions on the prevalence of problem drug use was included in the survey again, to be answered only
by general practitioners for adults and general practitioners for children and adolescents, also including questions
about the physicians’ experience of administering substitution treatment (Národní monitorovací středisko pro drogy a
drogové závislosti and Agentura INRES-SONES, 2010a); for results concerning substitution treatment see the
chapter on Opiate Substitution Treatment (p. 60). A similar module was included in the previous rounds of the same
survey in 2005 and 2007 (Mravčík et al. 2006; Mravčík et al. 2008) and general practitioners were also asked
similar questions in the 2003 survey (Mravčík et al. 2005). In 2010, the sample included a total of 1,178 physicians
from the entire Czech Republic. With regard to the fact that the questions about the prevalence of problem drug
users were answered only by physicians registering their patients for the purpose of capitation payments from the
health insurance system, the number of general practitioners for adults and general practitioners for children and
adolescents in the sample increased to approximately double the number that would correspond to their real
representation in the population of physicians in the country – in total, 342 and 212, respectively, were included in the
survey.
The physicians were asked questions about the number of problem drug users among their patients. In comparison
to the surveys in 2005 and 2007, the questions were more detailed and concerned the overall number of problem
drug users, as well as, specifically, the numbers of injecting drug users and problem users of heroin, Subutex ® not
prescribed by a physician, and pervitin. The results obtained from the physicians in the sample were extrapolated to
the total number of general practitioners and paediatricians in the Czech Republic (Ústav zdravotnických informací a
statistiky, 2011a).
On the basis of the answers to the question concerning the overall number of problem drug users among the
physicians’ clients, the total number of problem drug users for 2010 was estimated at approximately 53,500 (95% CI:
30,800–76,200). If the total number was estimated as the aggregate of problem users of pervitin, heroin, and illegally
obtained Subutex ® , then the overall estimate would be 32,900 (21,400–44,400). The number of injecting drug users
was estimated at 23,300 (10,100–36,600), that of problem pervitin users at 12,500 (8,800–16,100), that of heroin
users at 12,900 (4,100–21,700), and that of users of illegally obtained Subutex ® at 7,500 (1,000–14,000). The results
of the questionnaire surveys among general practitioners are provided in Table 4-4.
Prevalence estimates obtained through general practitioners are burdened with a relatively high margin of error (see
confidence intervals). As in previous years, the estimates are very likely to overestimate the number of opiate users
and underestimate the number of pervitin users. Users of opiates have the option of Subutex ® substitution treatment
administered by a general practitioner, which can lead to increased contact with the physician; there is no such
treatment option available to pervitin users from general practitioners.
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