Further ENhancing the Implementation of Quality Standards in drug demand reduction across Europe

ended

Quality standards (QS) were a central priority in the EU Drug Strategy 2013-2020 to improve the quality of drug services and to bridge the gap between science and practice. Yet, the extent and ways in which QS are implemented in daily practices of drug prevention, treatment and harm reduction in the EU vary substantially. Some countries have successfully implemented QS and there is a clear need to understand what transferable lessons can be learned from available 'good practices' which can guide implementation of QS in different contexts across the EU. The general objective of this action is to enhance implementation of QS in drug prevention, treatment and harm reduction throughout the EU, with more services, organizations and countries applying QS in daily practice. The project will focus on the actual application of QS in all EU countries and factors stimulating implementation. By identifying good practice examples and successful implementation strategies, key stakeholders (e.g. policy makers, service providers and users) will have access to do's and don'ts for implementing QS in various areas of drug demand reduction. A key activity will be the organization of a 2-day QS event in Lisbon, eventually resulting in consensus around core implementation strategies. The main output of this action will be a field-tested implementation toolkit, providing step-by-step guidance for individuals and organizations interested to implement QS. Training sessions, webinars and a video tutorial will support the introduction of the toolkit. Country representatives and civil society organizations will be involved throughout the project to maximize stakeholders' abilities to share good practices and to implement project recommendations in daily practice and at local level. Project partners are four academic partners (based in Belgium, Croatia, France and the Czech Republic) and four pan-European networks (IREFREA, Correlation C-EHRN, Euro-TC, EUFAS), covering all EU member states and drug demand reduction areas.