This is a substantial revision of a previous module by Dr Brian Kidd, Dr Manjunatha Anantharamu, Dr Venkata Arvapalli and Dr Sumaira Randhawa. The authors acknowledge their contribution.
All psychiatrists will deal with patients who use illicit substances – a frequent cause for admission to psychiatric wards and requests for liaison advice in general hospitals.
Guidance shows that, for opioid dependence, opioid substitution therapy (OST) is highly effective at reducing harm, improving treatment retention and reducing likelihood of premature death. These treatments are not without risk and it is important that psychiatrists can treat people with problem drug use effectively and safely.
In this module we hope to assist psychiatrists to become confident in delivering these interventions by giving an understanding of the principles and practice required. The module has been updated to reflect the 2024 UK national treatment guidelines.
Learning outcomes:
By the end of this module, you should be able to:
- describe the rationale behind opioid substitution therapy (OST)
- identify the legal framework governing treatment
- understand the pharmacology of commonly used medications
- review the safe and effective use of substitution therapies as part of patient-centred, recovery-focused treatment.
Please note that this module was prepared in line with the current practice and guidance within the United Kingdom, therefore we advise that you refer to local protocols as necessary.
Availability
This module is available as part of a CPD eLearning subscription.
