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

5 Drug-Related Treatment: Treatment Demand and Treatment Availability
The number of outpatient facilities providing treatment for drug users in 2010 grew by almost a third; despite this, the
number of outpatients in treatment decreased. This was mainly due to a year-on-year decrease of over 7% in
patients using illegal drugs (excluding alcohol and tobacco). There was also a decline among the three largest
patient groups – those treated for opiate/opioid, stimulant, and polydrug use.
In 2010 two new sobering-up stations were registered to treat acutely intoxicated persons, and this had an impact on
the increase in the number of beds and number of persons admitted.
Once again the number of patients in substitution treatment rose, both in specialised centres and in other medical
practices prescribing buprenorphine products (Subutex ® and Suboxone ® ). Treatment involving these products is still
not fully recorded in the Substitution Treatment Register.
For the first time, data on patient detoxification in inpatient healthcare facilities were collected. It was found that in
2010, detoxification units were located in 16 inpatient facilities with 163 dedicated beds, and patients also underwent
detoxification in non-dedicated beds in another 12 facilities. In the reporting year a total of 6,650 persons underwent
addictive substance detoxification, with 3,092 of these persons undergoing detoxification from illicit drugs.
To process hospitalisations in 2010, the methodology for selecting facilities included under psychiatric inpatient
facilities was changed. Besides psychiatric hospitals and psychiatric wards in general hospitals, data were also
processed for other inpatient facilities that operate inpatient psychiatric wards. In 2010 there was a decrease in the
number of hospitalisations of illicit drug users in these facilities. This decline is attributable to patients hospitalised for
disorders caused by polydrug and opiate/opioid use; the number of hospitalisations for disorders caused by the use
of other (non-cocaine) stimulants increased.
The number of drug users in the Public Health Service’s Register of Treatment Demands has risen. In 2010, a total
of 9,005 drug users sought treatment services, which is about 200 more than in 2009. In comparison with previous
years, the slight downward trend is shifting, bringing the number of treatment demands up to the same levels as in
2004 and 2005.
Treatment demands have long been dominated by stimulant users, the largest group among all those making
treatment demands (62.9%) and among first-time treatment demands (67.5%); the number of pervitin users also
shows the largest year-on-year increase. The second largest group is composed of opiate users (23.1%), while
cannabis users were in second place among first-time demands (15.9%); this is unchanged from 2009. In terms of
age structure, a slight aging of the population among those making treatment demands is evident. Although the
average age rose slightly year-on-year, in the medium term there is a clear increasing trend. The average age of
those making treatment demands for the first time was 25.7 years and 27.3 years for all demands in 2010. Over the
past decade, the average age of those making first-time demands and repeat demands has risen by over four years.
Women steadily make up one third of treatment demands. The highest relative prevalence and incidence of
treatment demands was recorded in the Ústí nad Labem region and in Prague. These characteristics correspond to
the gender and geographical distribution of problem drug users in the Czech Republic.
5.1 Strategy/Policy
In 2010 the Government approved the National Drug Policy Strategy for the Period 2010–2018, and in 2011 it
approved the 2010–2012 Action Plan. Treatment and social reintegration are one of the four pillars of the strategy,
and all four priorities of the action plan concern this area (for more information see the chapter on National Action
Plan, Strategy, Evaluation, and Coordination, p. 9). The Action Plan defines the following areas of activities for
treatment and social integration:
conceptual definition of the availability and continuity of treatment and after-care programmes for drug users;
the development of special interventions for selected target groups of drug users, including increasing the quality
of substitution treatment for opiate users;
the development of programmes for drug users in prison and keeping these programmes available.
Several healthcare regulations related to the profession of an addictologist and conditions for operating healthcare
facilities focused on addiction treatment were amended in 2010; see the chapter on Legal Framework (p. 6).
The First Faculty of Medicine at Charles University in Prague (Centre for Addictology) offers bachelor’s and master’s
programmes in addictology. An accredited training qualification course called Addictologist consisting of over 900
lessons was opened in September 2011. The 2008 and 2009 Annual Reports provide details on professional
competency and training for practitioners in the field of addictology.
5.2 Treatment System
Treatment and counselling programmes for drug users and addicts and the capacity and occupancy of these
programmes in 2010 are summarised in Table 5-1.
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