{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,5]],"date-time":"2026-05-05T23:41:09Z","timestamp":1778024469535,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":0,"publisher":"SMW Supporting Association","issue":"1314","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2014,3,23]],"date-time":"2014-03-23T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1395532800000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/4.0"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Swiss Med Wkly"],"abstract":"<jats:p>BACKGROUND\/AIMS: Switzerland\u2019s drug policy model has  always been unique and progressive, but there is a need to reassess this system  in a rapidly changing world. The IMPROVE study was conducted to gain understanding  of the attitudes and beliefs towards opioid maintenance therapy (OMT) in  Switzerland with regards to quality and access to treatment. To obtain a \u201creal-world\u201d  view on OMT, the study approached its goals from two different angles: from the  perspectives of the OMT patients and of the physicians who treat patients with maintenance  therapy. The IMPROVE study collected a large body of data on OMT in  Switzerland. This paper presents a small subset of the dataset, focusing on the  research design and methodology, the profile of the participants and the  responses to several key questions addressed by the questionnaires.\n        METHODS: IMPROVE was an observational, questionnaire-based  cross-sectional study on OMT conducted in Switzerland. Respondents consisted of  OMT patients and treating physicians from various regions of the country. Data  were collected using questionnaires in German and French. Physicians were  interviewed by phone with a computer-based questionnaire. Patients  self-completed a paper-based questionnaire at the physicians\u2019 offices or OMT  treatment centres.\n        RESULTS: A total of 200 physicians and 207 patients  participated in the study. Liquid methadone and methadone tablets or capsules  were the medications most commonly prescribed by physicians (60% and 20% of  patient load, respectively) whereas buprenorphine use was less frequent.  Patients (88%) and physicians (83%) were generally satisfied with the OMT currently  offered. The current political framework and lack of training or information  were cited as determining factors that deter physicians from engaging in OMT.  About 31% of OMT physicians interviewed were \u226560 years old, indicating an  ageing population. Diversion and misuse were considered a significant problem  in Switzerland by 45% of the physicians.\n        CONCLUSION: The subset of IMPROVE data presented gives  a present-day, real-life overview of the OMT landscape in Switzerland. It  represents a valuable resource for policy makers, key opinion leaders and drug  addiction researchers and will be a useful basis for improving the current  Swiss OMT model.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.4414\/smw.2014.13933","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2014,7,3]],"date-time":"2014-07-03T09:32:03Z","timestamp":1404379923000},"page":"w13933","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":5,"title":["Opioid  maintenance therapy in Switzerland: an\u00a0overview of the Swiss\u00a0IMPROVE study"],"prefix":"10.57187","volume":"144","author":[{"given":"Jacques","family":"Besson","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Thilo","family":"Beck","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Gerhard\u00a0A.","family":"Wiesbeck","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Robert","family":"H\u00e4mmig","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Andr\u00e9","family":"Kuntz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Sami","family":"Abid","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Rudolf","family":"Stohler","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"36756","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2014,3,23]]},"container-title":["Swiss Medical Weekly"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/smw.ch\/index.php\/smw\/article\/download\/1850\/2583","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/smw.ch\/index.php\/smw\/article\/download\/1850\/2584","content-type":"text\/html","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/smw.ch\/index.php\/smw\/article\/download\/1850\/2583","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,15]],"date-time":"2025-08-15T05:21:56Z","timestamp":1755235316000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/smw.ch\/index.php\/smw\/article\/view\/1850"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2014,3,23]]},"references-count":0,"journal-issue":{"issue":"1314","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2014,3,24]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.4414\/smw.2014.13933","relation":{},"ISSN":["1424-3997"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1424-3997","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2014,3,23]]}}}