[Substitute drug-assisted treatment of drug dependent patients in general practice]

An evaluation carried out on 15. 12. 1989 of the treatment of drug addicts with substitute substances in my practice, confirms the palliative effect of a substitute substance reported in other countries. The mortality rate of substituted addicts is below that of untreated patients. Compliance with treatment using dihydrocodeine is lower than that seen with methadone, which, at least in part, is probably due to the fact that the patients have to pay for the substitute substance themselves. Voluntary acceptance of inpatient long-term treatment was 3% a year, and was thus better by a third in my patients as compared with untreated drug addicts.