Picture Source: Alexa Brett, 2020
After analyzing the U.S., Russia, Portugal, and France’s approaches to Substance Use Disorder. I was able to create visual analysis tools for treatment approaches and access to care.
Global SUD Treatment Approaches
Global SUD Access to Care
With most fields being orange or green, France and Portugal are doing the best in their access to care and treatment approaches. The results are obvious in the rates of death related to SUD. Russia is doing the worst in terms of both services, programs offered, and access to care.
There seems to be a link with results and progressive country policies around drug possession and addiction. Countries that treat SUD as a medical condition show better results in terms of rates of drug overdose related deaths. Medication assisted programs are mainstreamed in both Portugal and France (Thom, Duke, Frank, Bjerge, 2013) . The U.S. is more siloed in terms of approaches and healthcare system. This has a direct impact on access to care and availability of medication assisted treatment programs across the country. The U.S. has a long ways to go to improve treatment pathways and to create a more unified and holistic approach to treating SUD throughout the country (Brett, 2020). Taking a page off of Portugal and France, the U.S. can start with an organized effort and removing barriers to make Buprenorphine medication assisted programs available through primary healthcare providers.
Sources
Brett, A. (2020). How is the U.S. dealing with the Opioid Crisis. Retrieved from https://alexaglobal.health.blog/2020/02/02/how-is-the-u-s-dealing-with-the-opioid-crisis/
Thom, B., Duke, K., Frank, V. A., & Bjerge, B. (2013, August 1). Stakeholders in opioid substitution treatment policy: similarities and differences in six European countries. Retrieved from http://eprints.mdx.ac.uk/12022/
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