The Process of the Implementation of Quality Standards in Drug Prevention in Croatia: A Case Study

INTRODUCTION: Prevention science and quality standards of drug prevention in the EU and in the world have developed in recent decades. Progress has been made in quality development in Croatia, but the experience of the process of improving the field of drug prevention and the implementation of quality standards in Croatia has not been described in detail in the literature. This case study is an example of adaptation of the European QS and the emergence of other quality assurance components in the field of addiction prevention in the Republic of Croatia. The study describes the Croatian example of the implementation of QS from the perspective of the Service for Combating Drug Abuse (hereinafter SCDA) of the Croatian Institute of Public Health (hereinafter CIPH), and the context, processes, mechanisms, and activities that contributed to the implementation of QS in the Republic of Croatia.

METHODS: Narrative review from database searches, literature review including grey literature, followed by a subsequent content analysis.

RESULTS: The current study includes the background of the circumstances in which the implementation of QS occurred, as well as the activities that were performed. In addition, factors that could have contributed to the implementation of QS are presented.

CONCLUSIONS: This Croatian case study suggests that different factors at a different level can influence QS implementation. The implementation of QS in the field of drug prevention is a long-term process influenced by various factors at the macro, mezzo, and micro levels. The study presents the shifts that have occurred as a result of the activities carried out and selected factors that could influence the implementation of QS at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels (or together). Reflection on the Croatian study on the implementation of QS may contribute and inspire/facilitate the implementation of QS and similar processes in other countries.