Best practice portal – evidence database

This database gives you access to the latest evidence on drug-related interventions. The information is based on systematic searches is updated regularly. To get started use the search boxes below.

Click here for more information about the Evidence database (including methods)

Title Area Evidence rating Substance Target group(s)
Adjunctive formal psychotherapy to contingency management (CM) to improve outcomes Treatment Unknown effectiveness not-drug specific
Administration of naloxone to prevent opioid overdose (intranasal/intramuscular) Harm reduction Beneficial opioids PWID – people who inject drugs
Alpha2-adrenergic agonists for the management of opioid withdrawal Treatment Likely to be beneficial opioids
Anti-alcohol/cannabis community interventions Prevention Unknown effectiveness alcohol
cannabis 		communities
PWID – people who inject drugs
Anti-tobacco mass-media campaigns in combination with school programmes Prevention Unknown effectiveness tobacco school
young people
Anti-tobacco multi-component community interventions Prevention Likely to be beneficial tobacco communities
Antipsychotic treatment for schizophrenia and substance use disorders Treatment Likely to be beneficial
Assertive community treatment (ACT) for substance use disorders Treatment Unknown effectiveness alcohol
co-morbidity
not-drug specific
amphetamines
cannabis
cocaine
new psychoactive substances (NPS)
opioids
prescription medicines
tobacco 		communities
dual-diagnosis patients
emergency department
ethnic minority
families
law enforcement
pregnant women
PWID – people who inject drugs
school
women
prison
young people
partygoers/nightlife
Availability of take-home naloxone (THN) to increase opioid use Harm reduction Evidence of ineffectiveness opioids PWID – people who inject drugs
Behavioural activation (BA) interventions to reduce substance use and depressive symptoms Treatment Unknown effectiveness co-morbidity dual-diagnosis patients
Behavioural harm reduction interventions to reduce HIV risk outcomes in crack/cocaine users Harm reduction Unknown effectiveness cocaine
Behavioural therapies to reduce use in adolescents Treatment Likely to be beneficial not-drug specific young people
Behavioural therapy for eating and substance use disorders Treatment Likely to be beneficial co-morbidity dual-diagnosis patients
Booster sessions Prevention Unknown effectiveness not-drug specific school
Brief interventions delivered in general medical settings to reduce use and harms Treatment Unknown effectiveness alcohol
cannabis
Brief interventions in patients with comorbid substance use Treatment Unknown effectiveness co-morbidity
Brief interventions to improve treatment outcomes in young cannabis users Treatment Unknown effectiveness cannabis young people
Brief interventions to reduce alcohol use Treatment Likely to be beneficial
Brief interventions to reduce benzodiazepine use Treatment Unknown effectiveness prescription medicines
Brief interventions to reduce cannabis use in healthcare settings Treatment Unknown effectiveness cannabis
Buprenorphine substitution to retain patients in treatment Treatment Beneficial opioids
Buprenorphine vs methadone for opioid assisted withdrawal Treatment Beneficial opioids
Buprenorphine vs methadone substitution to retain patients in treatment Treatment Beneficial opioids
Case management to improve treatment outcomes Treatment Likely to be beneficial not-drug specific
Cognitive behavioural therapy plus tapered doses versus tapered doses only to reduce benzodiazepine use in the long-term Treatment Unknown effectiveness prescription medicines
Cognitive behavioural therapy plus tapered doses versus tapered doses only to reduce benzodiazepine use in the short-term Treatment Likely to be beneficial prescription medicines
Cognitive-behavioural treatment (CBT) to reduce stimulant use Treatment Unknown effectiveness amphetamines
cocaine
Combined cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and pharmacotherapy to improve treatment outcomes Treatment Beneficial not-drug specific
Combined enforcement checks and management training to reduce under-age serving Prevention Likely to be beneficial alcohol law enforcement
partygoers/nightlife
Combined opioid substitution treatment (OST) and needle and syringe programmes (NSP) to prevent HCV (and HIV) infection and reduce injecting risk behaviours Harm reduction Beneficial opioids PWID – people who inject drugs
Communities That Care (CTC) approach to prevent use and reduce youth problematic behaviours Prevention Likely to be beneficial not-drug specific communities
Community interventions to reduce harms from alcohol and other drug use Prevention Unknown effectiveness alcohol
not-drug specific
cannabis 		communities
Community interventions to reduce risky drinking Prevention Likely to be beneficial alcohol
not-drug specific 		communities
Comparing buprenorphine, methadone and naltrexone in reducing the relapse and harm for people with opioid addiction Harm reduction, Treatment Beneficial opioids
Comprehensive community-based programmes targeting high-risk youth Prevention Beneficial alcohol
not-drug specific
cannabis
tobacco 		communities
school
young people
Comprehensive family-oriented prevention for cannabis use Prevention Likely to be beneficial cannabis families
young people
Compulsory drug treatment to reduce recidivism Treatment Evidence of ineffectiveness not-drug specific
Computer-based interventions to reduce recreational drug use Prevention Likely to be beneficial not-drug specific young people
Computer-based treatment programs to improve mental health and treatment outcomes Treatment Likely to be beneficial co-morbidity dual-diagnosis patients
Contingency management for improving adherence to antiretroviral therapy Treatment Likely to be beneficial PWID – people who inject drugs
Contingency management for patients with psychotic and substance use disorders Treatment Likely to be beneficial not-drug specific dual-diagnosis patients
Contingency management to improve treatment outcomes in opioid users Treatment Likely to be beneficial cannabis
opioids
Contingency management to reduce cannabis use for patients with comorbidities Treatment Unknown effectiveness co-morbidity
Contingency management to reduce stimulant use Treatment Beneficial amphetamines
cocaine
Continuing care to improve treatment outcomes Treatment Likely to be beneficial not-drug specific
Continuity of care to improve post-release behavioural outcomes Treatment Likely to be beneficial not-drug specific prison
Continuity of opioid substitution treatment (OST) from prison to community to reduce post-release mortality Harm reduction Beneficial opioids prison
Cost-effectiveness of opioid substitution treatment (OST) Treatment Beneficial opioids
Culturally sensitive prevention programs for substance use Treatment Likely to be beneficial school
young people
Culturally sensitive substance use treatment for racial/ethnic minority youth to reduce use Treatment Unknown effectiveness not-drug specific ethnic minority
young people

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