Behandeling van (drug)verslaafden: een aparte medische discipline

- In 2002, the Health Council of the Netherlands published two reports on drug addiction. One concerned the treatment of drug addicts in general and the other focused on addicted detainees. At present ‘addiction medicine’ does not exist as a specialisation in its own right. Inpatient and outpatient clinics for addicts are mainly staffed by social workers and psychologists. This is in stark contrast with the need to address somatic and psychiatric comorbidity. Furthermore, addicts should be viewed as patients suffering from a chronic disease as opposed to a social nuisance. The variety of medications available for both substitution-oriented and abstinence-oriented treatment necessitates a stronger medical approach. The medical treatment of imprisoned addicts requires specific attention, as in such a setting control has a greater priority than treatment.