Effectiveness of Anti-drug Mechanisms in Georgia, The Spread of Acute Intoxication and their Peculiarities in the Patients of the State Methadone Program

Abstract

The fact, that patients are involved in the Methadone Program voluntarily and at their own initiative, use of other substances (such as drugs, psychotropic/ sleeping/ antiparkinson/ antiepileptic medications etc) or alcohol for achieving drug-like effect is quite often. In its turn, it causes need for hospitalization/ rehospitalization of acute intoxication cases, which implies involvement of proper diagnostic methods and additional treatment in emergency, toxicology, intensive therapy and reanimation sections and such complications as development of new somatic diseases/disorders and exacerbation of concomitant chronic diseases take place. Nowadays, there isn’t any kind of research about the importance or severity of this problem, and the factors which may effect it. This research assesses the frequency of cases of drug overuse among patients of “Methadone Program” and informs us about their peculiarities. Accordingly, we get important information on the type and frequency of additional xenobiotics used to obtain a drug-like effect, on the causes of intoxications among the beneficiaries of the Methadone Substitution Program and the costs incurred by the state for treatment in the hospital. We will also find does Methadone replacement therapy realy reducing the readiness and willingness to obtain and use illicit drug substances/ medicines, if, on the contrary, it causes such problems during the treatment process that no one has discussed before.