Opportunities for addiction care, HIV prevention in Russia

SPOKANE, Wash. – Opioid resistance therapy using methadone is regarded as one of the most effective treatments for opioid use disorders as well as for helping to reduce HIV risks. Such therapy, however, is not available in Russia.

Washington State University College of Nursing researcher Sean Murphy, with colleagues from Boston Medical Center and Brandeis University, conducted a study to estimate costs and reduction in disease burden if this treatment were implemented into the Russian health care system.

They found that providing methadone therapy to as few as 3.1 percent of people with opioid addiction would result in a substantial reduction in disease burden over 10 years at a cost of just over $17 million.

Read more about the study and findings at https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-01/bumc-ofa012017.php.