About this release


This release by Public Health Scotland (PHS) is a benchmarking report on the progress that Alcohol and Drug Partnerships (ADPs) in Scotland are making to meet the medication assisted treatment (MAT) standards. The report includes recommended actions to address gaps.

Main points

  • MAT standards 1–10 were assessed across all 29 ADPs using a 'red, amber, green, blue' (RAGB) status.
  • For standards 1–5, 66% (96/145) are fully implemented (19/145, 13% green; 77/145, 53% provisional green) vs. 17% (25/145) in 2022 (Chart 1).
  • For standards 6–10, 88% (127/145) are partially implemented (65/145, 45% amber; 62/145, 43% provisional amber) and 12% (18/145) are not implemented (Chart 2).
  • This demonstrates substantial progress with implementation of the MAT standards throughout the ADP areas, but there is still a lot to do for full, consistent and sustained implementation of the standards across Scotland.
Image caption Chart 1: ADPs with RAGB score – MAT standards 1–5: Scotland 2022/2023
Image caption Chart 2: ADPs with RAGB score – MAT standards 6–10: Scotland 2022/2023

Background

MAT refers to the use of medication, such as opioids, together with psychological and social support, in the treatment and care of individuals who experience problems with their drug use. The Drug Deaths Taskforce published 10 MAT standards in May 2021. These aim to improve access, choice and care for people affected by problematic substance use across Scotland.

The next release of this publication will be June 2024.

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Older versions of this publication

Versions of this publication released before 16 March 2020 may be found on the Data and Intelligence, Health Protection Scotland or Improving Health websites.

Last updated: 21 March 2024
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