A lot of work still to do on improving drug treatment standards, report finds

There is still a lot of work to do to improve standards for medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for people with drug problems despite a “transformation” recently, a report has said.

Public Health Scotland’s study examined progress in improving MAT standards across alcohol and drug partnerships.

Improving this type of treatment, which can include opioids along with other forms of care, is a key part of the Scottish Government’s plan to tackle the drug deaths crisis.

In April 2023, 66% of the first five MAT standards were fully implemented, up from 17% the previous year.

For the remaining six standards, 88% were partially implemented.

The standards were measured in the 29 alcohol and drug partnerships (ADPs) across Scotland.

The report noted “there has been a transformation in rapid access to opioid substitution therapy”, with far more ADPs offering same-day access than the previous year.

However progress in prison settings was said to be inconsistent, with clinical capacity there “insufficient”.

Elena Whitham, the minister for drug policy, acknowledged in a foreword to the report that “challenges remain and there is still a lot of work to do to fully implement the standards by April 2025 and for them to be sustained by April 2026”.

She said later: “Through our £250 million national mission on drugs, we have continued to expand residential rehabilitation, supported 300 grassroots projects, and continued to drive implementation of the medication assisted treatment (MAT) standards.

“I’m pleased that this benchmarking report has highlighted substantial progress in rolling out these vital, life-saving treatment standards of care which support the consistent delivery of safe, accessible, high-quality drug treatment.

“Standards 1-5 are now fully implemented in two-thirds of ADPs – up from one-fifth last year, and I would like to thank all those who have helped achieved this.

“Despite this welcome progress, we’re determined to go further and we’ll continue to work with alcohol and drug partnerships across the country to achieve this.”

Opposition parties said the Government has failed to meet its target of fully implementing the first five MAT standards by April 2023.

Conservative drugs policy spokeswoman Sue Webber said: “Having already been forced to delay the full implementation of MAT standards by two years, because they were so far behind schedule, ministers have now failed to meet their revised interim target.

“Scotland’s drugs fatality rate is by far the worst in Europe – and spiralled shockingly on Nicola Sturgeon’s watch.”

Labour health spokeswoman Dame Jackie Baillie said: “It’s over three-and-a-half years since the SNP declared drugs deaths a public health emergency, but we are still left with missed targets and broken promises.

“These standards are meant to improve the quality of care for those struggling with substance misuse but patients have been left behind by a Government that is more concerned with warm words than real action.”