Addict commutes to Iserlohn every day: diamorphine is missing in the district!

Addict commutes to Iserlohn every day: diamorphine is missing in the district!

In the current debate about drug supply, the situation for many of those affected in the Siegen-Wittgenstein area is anything but easy. A drug-addicted defendant who has to commute from his home to Iserlohn every day vividly reports on his challenges. In the Siegen district court he said that he had to travel two hours by train to get diamorphine. This substance, known in the medical sector as synthetic heroin, is not available in the region itself. Instead, most addicts receive methadone as a replacement drug, which is not well received by many.

The demands for a better and more effective form of therapy are clearly noticeable. An addiction counseling employee discovered that there were too few doctors in Siegen-Wittgenstein with the necessary additional qualifications to be able to prescribe methadone. In addition, some doctors are reluctant to treat patients with drug problems in their practice. These circumstances show that it is not only due to the changing access to substitute drugs, but also to the availability and recruitment of specialist staff.

About the benefits of diamorphine

As can be seen from the defendant's statements, treatment with diamorphine could prove to be significantly more beneficial. Working groups on diamorphine-assisted therapy have found that these treatments are significantly superior in effectiveness compared to methadone. Patients taking diamorphine could break away from the drug scene better and show a positive progression in terms of their integration into society and the crime rate.

Substitution therapy not only aims to avoid withdrawal symptoms, but also aims to enable a gradual return to normality. This includes the restoration of social relationships and the reduction of acquisitive crime, as described on the AIDS aid website. Aids help emphasizes that the costs of substitution are covered by health insurance companies, which is crucial for many of those affected.

Obstacles and search for solutions

But what do you do if the necessary treatment is not available locally? In Siegen-Wittgenstein, methadone and buprenorphine are offered from standardized programs. Diamorphine-assisted substitution is currently not feasible because this special treatment is only offered in state-licensed outpatient clinics in larger cities. The outpatient clinic in Iserlohn, which is considered the first in rural Germany, offers space for up to 250 patients. The Siegen newspaper reported that suitable patients are entitled to a public transport ticket, which is provided by the job center. Although this would improve mobility, it is neither the only nor a final solution for many of those affected.

It seems high time for a rethink so that consumers have the chance to sustainably escape addiction. The press spokesman for the Siegen-Wittgenstein district, Manuel Freudenstein, has already pointed out the challenges of the regional supply structure. Without sufficient substitution doctors, it is almost impossible for addicts to receive adequate treatment.

The average 166,000 opioid addicts in Germany face similarly difficult conditions. As part of the current reforms, which came into force in 2023, new regulations on telemedicine and the regulations for the dispensing of substitute drugs come into play, although these can only be implemented to a limited extent in rural areas such as Siegen-Wittgenstein. So there is still a long way to go before everyone affected receives the treatment they need. The German Medical Association has provided further information on this topic.