Impact of a methadone maintenance therapy pilot in Vietnam and its role in a scaled-up response

Hoang, Tran Vu; Ha, Tran Thi Thanh; Hoàng, Trần Minh; Nhu, Nguyen To; Quoc, Nguyen Cuong; Tâm, Nguyễn Thị; Mills, Stephen

doi:10.1186/s12954-015-0075-9

Cited by 34 publications

(37 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…56 By a 2015 estimate, Vietnam was reaching 32 000 OST patients in 44 provinces in a country with an estimated 130 000 PWID. 78 Though coverage may be relatively low, the existence and continued growth of these programmes are important achievements.…”

Section: Drug Policy and Infectious Diseasesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Public health and international drug policy

et al. 2016

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Executive summary In September 2015, the member states of the United Nations endorsed sustainable development goals (SDG) for 2030 that aspire to human rights-centered approaches to ensuring the health and well-being of all people. The SDGs embody both the UN Charter values of rights and justice for all and the responsibility of states to rely on the best scientific evidence as they seek to better humankind. In April 2016, these same states will consider control of illicit drugs, an area of social policy that has been fraught with controversy, seen as inconsistent with human rights norms, and for which scientific evidence and public health approaches have arguably played too limited a role. The previous UN General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) on drugs in 1998 – convened under the theme “a drug-free world, we can do it!” – endorsed drug control policies based on the goal of prohibiting all use, possession, production, and trafficking of illicit drugs. This goal is enshrined in national law in many countries. In pronouncing drugs a “grave threat to the health and well-being of all mankind,” the 1998 UNGASS echoed the foundational 1961 convention of the international drug control regime, which justified eliminating the “evil” of drugs in the name of “the health and welfare of mankind.” But neither of these international agreements refers to the ways in which pursuing drug prohibition itself might affect public health. The “war on drugs” and “zero-tolerance” policies that grew out of the prohibitionist consensus are now being challenged on multiple fronts, including their health, human rights, and development impact. The Johns Hopkins – Lancet Commission on Drug Policy and Health has sought to examine the emerging scientific evidence on public health issues arising from drug control policy and to inform and encourage a central focus on public health evidence and outcomes in drug policy debates, such as the important deliberations of the 2016 UNGASS on drugs. The Johns Hopkins-Lancet Commission is concerned that drug policies are often colored by ideas about drug use and drug dependence that are not scientifically grounded. The 1998 UNGASS declaration, for example, like the UN drug conventions and many national drug laws, does not distinguish between drug use and drug abuse. A 2015 report by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, by contrast, found it important to emphasize that “[d]rug use is neither a medical condition nor does it necessarily lead to drug dependence.” The idea that all drug use is dangerous and evil has led to enforcement-heavy policies and has made it difficult to see potentially dangerous drugs in the same light as potentially dangerous foods, tobacco, alcohol for which the goal of social policy is to reduce potential harms. Health impact of drug policy based on enforcement of prohibition The pursuit of drug prohibition has generated a parallel economy run by criminal networks. Both these networks, which resort to violence to protect their markets, and the police and sometimes military ...

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Section: Drug Policy and Infectious Diseasesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Public health and international drug policy

et al. 2016

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“…Methadone maintenance therapy (MMT) became available in Vietnam in 2008, with the first pilot clinics opening in Haiphong and Ho Chi Minh City [ 4 ]. MMT has been shown to reduce transmission of HIV and other blood-borne infections, improve the health and quality of life of those addicted to opiates, and support reintegration into the community [ 5 – 8 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A longitudinal and case-control study of dropout among drug users in methadone maintenance treatment in Haiphong, Vietnam

et al. 2017

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BackgroundVietnam began providing methadone maintenance therapy (MMT) in 2008; as of June 2016, 44,479 persons who inject drugs (PWID) were in treatment in 57 provinces. However, 10–23% of patients were estimated to have dropped out of treatment during the first 2 years. We evaluated dropout and factors associated with quitting treatment.MethodsWe followed clients ≥ 18 years old enrolled in five MMT clinics in Haiphong for 3 years. Persons who missed a consecutive month of methadone treatment were considered to have dropped out and were not allowed to return; those who missed greater than five consecutive doses were considered to be non-compliant but were allowed to restart treatment at their initial dose. Clients who dropped out or who were non-compliant during their third year of MMT (cases) were traced and matched with two clients who remained in treatment (controls) by gender, age, and length of time in the program. Cases and controls were interviewed. Additional data on levels of yearly retention were abstracted from clinic records.ResultsAmong the 1055 patients initially enrolled in MMT, dropout and non-compliance combined was 13.6% during the first year, 16.5% during the second year, and 22.3% during the third year. By 36 months, 33.3% of clients had dropped out, of whom 10.6% had died and 24% had been arrested. We traced and interviewed 81 clients who dropped out or who were non-compliant during year 3 as well as 161 controls. The primary reasons for dropping out included claiming no dependence on heroin (22.2%), conflict with work (21.0%), health problems (16.0%), and inability to afford the methadone co-payment of approximately 0.5 USD/day (14.8%). Independent factors associated with non-compliance included continuing to use heroin (aOR = 12.4, 95% CI 4.2–36.8) and missing greater than three doses during the previous 3 months (aOR = 18.5, 95% CI 7.4–47.1); receiving a daily dose of > 120 mg of methadone was associated with a lower odds ratio of dropping out (aOR = 0.3, 95% CI 0.1–0.9).ConclusionBy 3 years, one third of all patients in treatment had permanently dropped out. Ensuring that methadone dosing is adequate and reducing or eliminating the co-payment fee for those who cannot afford it could improve retention.

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“…The MMT program has achieved significant benefits: a prospective cohort study conducted among early MMT clients has shown reduction in heroin use and improvement of quality of life for both clients and their family members (Hoang et al, 2015). Another study comparing MMT-users and non-users has demonstrated that MMT was associated with increment in self-perceived health status and reductions in out-of-pocket health expenditure among HIV-positive drug users (Tran & Nguyen, 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Commune Health Workers' Methadone Maintenance Treatment (MMT) Knowledge and Perceived Difficulties Providing Decentralized MMT Services in Vietnam

Lin¹,

Tuấn

Li³

2017

Substance Use & Misuse

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Background With the initial establishment of countrywide methadone maintenance therapy (MMT) system, Vietnam is in the process of expanding and decentralizing the MMT program to community-based healthcare settings. Objective The study aimed to measure the MMT-related knowledge and perceived difficulties in treating patient who use drugs (PWUD) among community-based healthcare providers, e.g., commune health workers (CHW), and examine its correlated factors. Methods A total of 300 CHW from 60 communes in two provinces of Vietnam completed a survey using Audio Computer-Assisted Self-Interview (ACASI) method. Twelve true-or-false questions were used to assess the CHW’s MMT-related knowledge. The CHW’s background characteristics and perceived difficulties treating PWUD were recorded. Results The mean MMT knowledge score was 8.2 (SD = 1.2; range: 5–11). Misconceptions toward the benefits, procedure, and side effects of MMT were prevalent. The participants perceived varying degrees of difficulties in recruiting, engaging, and communicating with PWUD. With all covariates holding constant, younger age (standardized β=−0.166; p = 0.0078) was associated with less MMT-related knowledge. Number of PWUD seen in a month and MMT-related knowledge was associated with less perceived difficulties treating PWUD. Conclusions/importance The finding shed lights on the CHW’s knowledge gap, which need to be addressed to facilitate the decentralization of MMT services in Vietnam. In preparation for a decentralized MMT service delivery model, specially designed training is warranted to equip CHW with knowledge and confidence to provide MMT-related services to PWUD.

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Impact of a methadone maintenance therapy pilot in Vietnam and its role in a scaled-up response

Cited by 34 publications

References 33 publications

Public health and international drug policy

Public health and international drug policy

A longitudinal and case-control study of dropout among drug users in methadone maintenance treatment in Haiphong, Vietnam

Commune Health Workers' Methadone Maintenance Treatment (MMT) Knowledge and Perceived Difficulties Providing Decentralized MMT Services in Vietnam

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