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Georgia brings opioid substitution therapy fully under state control

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The OST is a medical treatment for people who are dependent on opioids such as heroin, morphine, or prescription painkillers

The OST is a medical treatment for people who are dependent on opioids such as heroin, morphine, or prescription painkillers

Georgia’s government has taken full control of its opioid substitution therapy programme, closing all private treatment centres and transferring services entirely to state-run facilities.

The OST is a medical treatment for people who are dependent on opioids such as heroin, morphine, or prescription painkillers.

Instead of abruptly stopping opioid use - which can cause severe withdrawal symptoms and a high risk of relapse - patients are given a safer, legally prescribed opioid medication that works on the same brain receptors but is longer-acting and more controlled.

Health Minister Mikheil Sarjveladze on Friday said most patients who had been receiving treatment from private providers have already switched to state centres of their choice. Those unable to apply earlier due to “objective obstacles” will be allowed to enrol in the public programme through a simplified process until 22 August.

Around 100 individuals will not continue in the programme for various reasons, officials said. These include cases where private clinic records could not confirm a patient’s participation, people identified as occasional users rather than long-term patients, and individuals found registered at more than one private provider to receive duplicate doses. Discrepancies in dosage records between patients and clinics were also cited.

The minister urged all approved beneficiaries to attend their assigned centres on time, follow instructions, and bring identification documents.


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