Heroin-Assisted Treatment and Supervised Drug Consumption Sites: Experience from Four Countries | RAND

Heroin-Assisted Treatment and Supervised Drug Consumption Sites: Experience from Four Countries | RAND

New report makes the case for studying heroin-assisted treatment

A new RAND analysis suggests providing supervised access to medical-grade heroin to certain drug users can reduce the risk of harm. Here’s the rundown:

• The study: The researchers scoured the evidence on heroin-assisted treatment, in which patients are prescribed heroin that's used under medical observation and are also offered methadone. 
• The finding: They found that other countries have seen success in providing heroin-assisted treatment to people who continue using the drug after trying multiple traditional treatments, particularly when it comes to curbing criminal activity.
• The recommendation: The researchers say it’s critical to improve access to approved treatments, but argue it’s also worth evaluating potential tools such as heroin-assisted treatment in the U.S. “This is not a silver bullet or first-line treatment,” RAND researcher Beau Kilmer said in a statement. “But there is evidence that it helps stabilize the lives of some people who use heroin.”