ABSTRACT
This chapter provides the substance misuse nurse with an introduction to the processes and practice of user involvement in drug treatment. It gives an overview of drug service provision to put the patient experience into context, and describes the three levels of user involvement: patient involvement in individual healthcare, user participation in service provision and user consultation in strategic decision making. Drug users have historically been stigmatised, marginalised and subjected to an arbitrary treatment system that remains variable in different geographical areas. Drug treatment provision is improving but there is still room for improvement in some areas of the country. A greater range of treatments is being offered, including psychosocial support and aftercare, and quicker access to treatment is generally being achieved. The Alliance is a national organisation offering advocacy to people experiencing difficulties with drug treatment. The service user is in the perfect position to comment on the accessibility, availability, care co-ordination, outcome and quality of their treatment.
