About Expediency of Application of Substitution Maintenance Therapy in the Places of Imprisonment
In the article possibility of application of substitution maintenance therapy as the method of treatment of drug addiction in the places of imprisonment is studied. The state of implementation of medical programs of substitution maintenance therapy in the public sector of medicine in Ukraine is investigated. The procedure of rendering of medical and preventive care to drug addicts in penitentiary institutions is considered. It is indicated that the traditional approach to treatment of drug addicts in places of deprivation of liberty is ineffective. It is noted that indicators of the use of drugs in penitentiary institutions tend to increase. The necessity of provision of substitution maintenance therapy in the context of providing of constitutional rights for convicts and an implementation of punishments in accordance with principles of humanity and respect for human rights is analyzed. The provisions of national legislation and international standards that indicate that medical care should be accessible to prisoners without significant restrictions is set out. The using of substitution maintenance therapy in the aspect of realization of the programs of HIV/AIDS prevention in the places of imprisonment is considered. The foreign experience of using this progressive method of treatment is noticed. The introducing of integrated treatment, which will correctly combine substitution maintenance therapy with psychological and social rehabilitation measures and other existing methods of treatment, into the practice is proposed. The importance of a rigorous study of the conditions under which substitution maintenance therapy can be successfully implemented in places of deprivation of liberty is emphasized.