WHAT ARE THE COSTS OF TREATMENT FOR HEROIN ADDICTION IN 33 COUNTRIES WORLDWIDE?
We developed and applied new costing methodologies to estimate costs of opioid dependence treatment in 33 countries worldwide with major heroin problems. Our study found that in 13 countries, buprenorphine treatment could be provided for under $2,000 per patient. For all countries except United Kingdom and Singapore, when comparing buprenorphine to naltrexone, incremental costs per person were below $1,000. Understanding the cost implications of such treatments is an essential step in addressing heroin addiction worldwide.
