[Opioids substitution therapy: A respect for the dignity of the human person]

The Opioid substitution treatment (OST) has been highly argumentative in ways that raise important ethical issues. The stigma in treating opioid addiction continues to be a major barrier to effective management plan. It prevents individuals from seeking treatment and is associated with poor mental and physical health. OST are considered to improve outcomes in opioid dependency. They are legitimate therapeutic options because they comply with the four principles of bioethics: autonomy, no maleficence, beneficence and justice. OST plan should conceived in a way that outcomes only giving a medication to the patient. It has many ethical aspects that should be valued: fairness, respect and solidarity. However, OST may be misused or diverted, resulting in negative treatment outcomes, here comes the important role of the multidisciplinary treatment plan to contain and prevent from misuse. We will be discussing in this paper the ethical aspect of the OST and the values that should be promoted, in order to cherish and enhance the dignity of the human being, by replacing a deadly disease with a chronic one giving the patient a chance to lead a normal life.