This seminar marks the launch of a consultation process funded by the Drug Deaths Task Force (DDTF), Scottish Government and Corra Foundation on best practice approaches on delivering Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) for Opioid Use Disorder via Telehealth. In keeping with the landscape of substance use in Scotland contributing to drug-related deaths, the main focus will be on the treatment of Opioid Use Disorder for example with methadone or buprenorphine. However, with a large number of deaths attributable to polysubstance use, we have included some information on the provision of MAT for other chemical addictions also.
This event provides you with the opportunity to hear how services have evolved and developed telehealth mediated MAT in countries with comparable per capita drug-related death rates, for example, Canada and the USA. Closer to home, we will also look at how Ireland developed its telehealth delivery model. Finally, we will hear from experts on the applicability of the legal and pharmacy-related implications to delivery of telehealth delivery of MAT in Scotland. The seminar sets the scene for stakeholders in Scotland, facilitating further discussion around the development of consensus-based good practice guidance on meeting the DDTF MAT standards via telehealth. This is particularly important in the current climate whereby we are trying to protect service-users and practitioners from unnecessary risk of exposure to COVID-19.