Australie : le traitement de la dépendance aux opioïdes doit changer pendant la pandémie, affirment les experts

La télémédecine et l’augmentation du nombre de doses à emporter chez soi sont juste une petite partie des outils permettant d’assurer une flexibilité lors de périodes difficiles. Pour en savoir plus, en anglais, veuillez lire les informations ci-dessous.

By Rachel Clun / Sydney Morning Herald

People being treated for opioid addiction risk relapsing without changes in their support and treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Royal Australasian College of Physicians spokesman and president-elect of the Chapter of Addiction Medicine Professor Nicholas Lintzeris said the outbreak has had a huge impact on the 50,000 patients who use methadone or buprenorphine as treatment for their opioid dependence.

“Traditionally that usually meant patients got to a clinic, pharmacy or hospital, four, five, six, seven days a week in some cases,” he said.

“That might be fine under normal circumstances but in the context of COVID-19 that’s a model that doesn’t really work that well.”