Best practice portal – evidence database

This database gives you access to the latest evidence on drug-related interventions. The information is based on systematic searches is updated regularly. To get started use the search boxes below. Click here for more information about the Evidence database (including methods).

List of Evidence Summaries
Title Area Substance Target group(s) or setting(s) Evidence rating
Opioid substitution treatment (OST) to improve HCV treatment outcomes Harm reduction amphetamines, opioids PWID – people who inject drugs Unknown effectiveness
Digital interventions to treat substance use disorder (alcohol) Treatment alcohol Unknown effectiveness
Motivational interviewing to reduce illicit drug use in adolescents Treatment not-drug specific young people Unknown effectiveness
Pharmacotherapy treatment options for crack-cocaine dependence Treatment cocaine Unknown effectiveness
Cognitive behavioural therapy plus tapered doses versus tapered doses only to reduce benzodiazepine use in the long-term Treatment prescription medicines Unknown effectiveness
Family- or individual-level multiple risk behaviour interventions to prevent alcohol use Prevention alcohol young people Unknown effectiveness
Technology-based psychotherapeutic interventions to reduce cannabis use in patients with psychosis Treatment co-morbidity, cannabis dual-diagnosis patients Unknown effectiveness
Anti-tobacco mass-media campaigns in combination with school programmes Prevention tobacco school, young people Unknown effectiveness
Standalone social influence–based interventions to reduce cannabis use Prevention cannabis, opioids school Unknown effectiveness
Pharmacological interventions for benzodiazepine discontinuation Treatment prescription medicines Unknown effectiveness
Opioid substitution treatment (OST) in prison to reduce criminal justice outcomes Treatment opioids prison Unknown effectiveness
Pharmacotherapy for methamphetamine withdrawal Treatment amphetamines Unknown effectiveness
Psychosocial interventions involving IECS to prevent HIV and HCV infection Harm reduction amphetamines, opioids PWID – people who inject drugs Unknown effectiveness
Interventions to reduce substance-related stigma Social reintegration not-drug specific communities Unknown effectiveness
Residential treatment to improve treatment outcomes Treatment not-drug specific Unknown effectiveness
Pharmacotherapies to reduce stimulant use Treatment amphetamines, cocaine Unknown effectiveness
Anti-alcohol/cannabis community interventions Prevention alcohol, cannabis communities, PWID – people who inject drugs Unknown effectiveness
Brief interventions to reduce benzodiazepine use Treatment prescription medicines Unknown effectiveness
Family- or individual-level multiple risk behaviour interventions to prevent tobacco use Prevention tobacco young people Unknown effectiveness
Media campaigns for the prevention of illicit drug use in young people Prevention not-drug specific young people Unknown effectiveness
Booster sessions Prevention not-drug specific school Unknown effectiveness
Adjunctive formal psychotherapy to contingency management (CM) to improve outcomes Treatment not-drug specific Unknown effectiveness
Psychosocial treatments for depression and substance use disorders Treatment co-morbidity dual-diagnosis patients Unknown effectiveness
Syringe provision through pharamcies, vending machines and mobile vans to reduce HIV, HCV and injecting risk behaviour Harm reduction amphetamines, opioids PWID – people who inject drugs Unknown effectiveness
Treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and substance use disorders in adolescents Treatment co-morbidity, not-drug specific dual-diagnosis patients Unknown effectiveness
Non-pharmacological interventions for deprescribing benzodiazepines and Z-drugs Treatment prescription medicines Unknown effectiveness
Shared decision-making tools to reduce substance use Treatment not-drug specific Unknown effectiveness
Behavioural harm reduction interventions to reduce HIV risk outcomes in crack/cocaine users Harm reduction cocaine Unknown effectiveness
Mentoring for preventing drug use in young people Prevention not-drug specific communities, young people Unknown effectiveness
Family- or individual-level multiple risk behaviour interventions to prevent illicit drug use Prevention not-drug specific young people Unknown effectiveness
Life skill and social influence–based interventions to reduce hard drug use Prevention opioids school Unknown effectiveness
Primary care models to improve opioid use disorders outcomes Treatment opioids communities Unknown effectiveness
Physical exercise to improve drug-related outcomes Treatment not-drug specific Unknown effectiveness
Pharmacological treatments for personality and substance use disorders Treatment co-morbidity dual-diagnosis patients Unknown effectiveness
Distribution of safer crack-use-paraphernalia to reduce crack-related harms Harm reduction cocaine Unknown effectiveness
Positive youth development (PYD) interventions to reduce substance use Prevention not-drug specific communities, young people Unknown effectiveness
Drug court programmes to improve employment outcomes Social reintegration not-drug specific prison Unknown effectiveness
Family- or individual-level multiple risk behaviour interventions to prevent cannabis use Prevention cannabis young people Unknown effectiveness
Universal school-based interventions to prevent multiple risk behaviours relating to alcohol, tobacco and drug use Prevention alcohol, cannabis, tobacco school Unknown effectiveness
Standalone life skill-based interventions to reduce hard drug use Prevention opioids school Unknown effectiveness
Pharmacological management of opium withdrawal Treatment opioids Unknown effectiveness
Integrated care of infectious diseases and substance use disorders to improve infectious disease treatment outcomes Treatment alcohol, co-morbidity, not-drug specific, amphetamines, cannabis, cocaine, new psychoactive substances (NPS), opioids, prescription medicines, tobacco communities, dual-diagnosis patients, emergency department, ethnic minority, families, law enforcement, pregnant women, PWID – people who inject drugs, school, women, prison, young people, partygoers/nightlife Unknown effectiveness
Police-based diversion measures to prevent drug use Harm reduction not-drug specific law enforcement Unknown effectiveness
Opioid withdrawal with antagonists under minimal sedation to retain patients and reduce relapses Treatment opioids Unknown effectiveness
Drug consumption rooms (DCRs) to reduce harms for homeless and vulnerably housed persons Harm reduction amphetamines, opioids PWID – people who inject drugs Unknown effectiveness
Workplace-based interventions for the prevention and treatment of problematic substance use Prevention Unknown effectiveness
Primary care behavioural interventions to prevent or reduce substance use in children and adolescents Prevention not-drug specific communities, young people Unknown effectiveness
Psycho-social treatment (including contingency management) to improve crack-cocaine users employment conditions Social reintegration cocaine Unknown effectiveness
Behavioural activation (BA) interventions to reduce substance use and depressive symptoms Treatment co-morbidity dual-diagnosis patients Unknown effectiveness
Targeted school-level interventions to prevent multiple risk behaviours relating to alcohol, tobacco and drug use Prevention alcohol, cannabis, tobacco school Unknown effectiveness
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