Book IV: Combating drug addiction

Addiction treatment, support and prevention centres provide the following services for people with risky consumption, harmful use or dependence on psychoactive substances, and for their families and friends: 1° Reception, information, medical, psychological and social assessment and guidance for the person or those around them; Within this framework, they may set up local consultations to ensure early detection of harmful use. 2° Reducing the risks associated with the use of…

Centres may specialise in providing care for people who use illicit psychoactive substances or alcohol. In this case, they are only obliged to fulfil the missions mentioned in 2° and 3° of article D. 3411-1 for the people they care for, including their associated consumption.

The centres provide either outpatient services, individual or group accommodation, or both.

The centres provide the services of a multi-disciplinary team whose composition and operation are in line with the objectives of the establishment’s project and enable it to be implemented.

The centre director or manager has overall responsibility for the running of the centre. He or she is responsible for ensuring the overall coherence of staff activities and coordination with external contributors, either personally or, where appropriate, by delegation, while respecting the competencies and ethical rules of the various professionals. A doctor is responsible for medical activities.

Experimental establishments within the meaning of 12° of article L. 312-1 of the Code de l’action sociale et des familles, known as therapeutic communities, may be authorised as addiction care, support and prevention centres. In this case, the centres are not required to prescribe the substitution treatment referred to in 3° of article D. 3411-1.

The centres take part in the information gathering and monitoring system, which enables them to gain a better understanding of people’s needs in terms of care.

The centres may take part in prevention, training and research into addictive practices. They may also implement them. When these activities are organised by legal entities, the latter pay for the centre’s involvement.

When the centre obtains its supplies in application of 6° of article R. 5124-45 of the present code, the holding, control, management and dispensing of medicinal products are carried out by a pharmacist registered in section E or section H of the national order of pharmacists, or failing this by a doctor working in the centre, designated by name and authorised by the general director of the regional health agency.

The medicinal products are kept in a place to which persons not belonging to the organisation do not have free access and are stored under the conditions laid down in the marketing authorisation, under the responsibility of the pharmacist or doctor authorised by the general director of the regional health agency. An annual statement of incoming and outgoing medicinal products is sent to the pharmacist of the Regional Health Agency…