Quality Assurance In Treatment For Drug Use Disorders: Key Quality Standards For Service Appraisal

Improving the quality and coverage of treatment for drug use disorders is a global health priority, highlighted in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. To support this, the Key Quality Standards for Drug Use Disorder Treatment Services were developed through broad international collaboration, drawing on the UNODC/WHO International Standards for the Treatment of Drug Use Disorders and other regional frameworks. These standards reflect a consensus on what is most essential to ensure safe, effective and ethical services, and are designed for policymakers, funders, evaluators and service providers alike.

Organised into four main areas – effective service management, patient-centred treatment and care, timely access to evidence-based interventions, and the protection of health, safety and human rights – the standards offer a practical checklist for reviewing and improving services. They can be used to assess individual facilities, entire treatment systems, or to guide the development of quality assurance processes at national or local level. Flexible and adaptable, they aim to promote dignity, accountability and better health outcomes for people living with drug use disorders, while supporting sustainable improvements in treatment systems across diverse contexts.