Scaling up methadone maintenance treatment for opioid-dependent prisoners in Iran

• Published in: The International journal of drug policy Vol. 21; no. 5; pp. 422 - 424
• Main Authors: Farnia, Marziyeh, Ebrahimi, Bahman, Shams, Ali, Zamani, Saman
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01-09-2010; Elsevier Science Ltd
• Subjects: Alcoholism - drug therapy; Alcoholism - rehabilitation; Analgesics, Opioid - administration & dosage; Analgesics, Opioid - therapeutic use; Data processing; Drug addicts; Drug dependency; Drugs; Health Services Accessibility; HIV; HIV Infections - epidemiology; HIV Infections - prevention & control; HIV Infections - transmission; Human immunodeficiency virus; Humans; Infection; Internal Medicine; Iran; Iran - epidemiology; Medical Education; Medical treatment; Methadone; Methadone - administration & dosage; Methadone - therapeutic use; Methadone maintenance treatment; Opiate Substitution Treatment; Opioid-Related Disorders - drug therapy; Opioid-Related Disorders - rehabilitation; Prison; Prisoners; Prisons; Risk; Risk-Taking; Substance abuse treatment; Substance Abuse, Intravenous - drug therapy; Substance Abuse, Intravenous - rehabilitation; Iran; Prison; HIV; Iran; Methadone maintenance treatment
• ISSN: 0955-3959; 1873-4758
• DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2010.03.008

Abstract Background Research evidence indicates that prisoners in Iran are at risk of drug-related harm, including acquisition of blood-borne infections. In response, several prevention interventions including methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) have been introduced into prisons in Iran. Methods This report reviews and presents some important information extracted from published articles, and available documents on HIV sentinel surveillance and provision of MMT inside correctional settings in Iran. Results Biological surveillance data in 2005 showed that on average about 3% of prisoners in the country tested positive for HIV infection. MTT that constitutes a main component of the Prison Organisation's HIV prevention package is becoming increasingly accessible to opioid-dependent prisoners. Between 2002 and 2008, the number of opioid-dependent prisoners receiving MMT increased steadily from 100 to more than 25000. Conclusion Experiences in Iran suggest that access to MMT would be helpful for reducing illicit drug injection in a prison setting and can be considered as a major intervention for preventing the transmission of blood-borne infections among prisoners.