Main Elements of a Systems Approach to Addiction Treatment: An Introduction

This section is dedicated to a range of issues which go beyond the clinical practice in providing specific treatment options to specific populations, in specific services by specialists or in primary health care. The focus here is on the treatment system in the community, at a regional or national level, as a comprehensive network integrating different approaches, services and actors, including harm reduction interventions . The various aspects of building up such a network and of improving an existing system are discussed, legal and ethical frameworks and rules are described, as well as the evidence base for good quality interventions and ways how to monitor and evaluate their outcomes.