Integrated Drug Information Systems

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Integrated Drug Information Systems

• United Nations International Drug Control
  Programme
• Global Assessment Programme on Drug Abuse (GAP)

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What is a drug information system?
Input
Interpretation
Output
Network Communication
Data sources
Reporting
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Input

• Survey data
• Indicator data
• Qualitative data

Magnitude Trends Context
Drug Use Situation
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Interpretation
Treatment centres
Govt. Departments
Universities Research Institutes
Data Expertise Discussion Interpretation Review
and update
Psychiatric Facility
Hospitals
Police Service

• Forensic Science

Other relevant stakeholders
Central coordinating agency or person
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Output
Regular (e.g., annual) reporting of data sources
Focused reporting on specific issues Informal
communication/networking
Inform decision making and policy Provide
direction to future research and data collection
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Focus of system

• Define the scope of monitoring
• Link to policy and practice aims
• Link to policy and practice possibilities
• Consider different interests

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Coverage of Monitoring
Local
Sensitive to local trendsDirect community
initiatives Cannot generalise to other areas
vs. National
Average view of drug use Direct national
policy Insensitive to local trends
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Sentinel Surveillance

• Focuses on sentinel drug using regions e.g., city
  based
• Focus on problematic drug use
• Cost-effective

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Hierarchy of Systems
GLOBAL INFORMATION
Regional Systems
National Systems
Local/City based systems
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Regional ATS Questionnaire

• Part of regional level system
• Collate information from countries
• Much information already exists
• Not collated or interpreted
• Use national level networks to collate what
  exists
• Feed into regional questionnaire
• Improve regional information base on drugs

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Thank you

• ATS Data Training
• Acknowledgements
• Global Assessment Programme on Drug Abuse, UNODC
• Ruud Bless, Pompidou Group

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Regional level

• Collate data/information from countries in region
• Based around core reporting categories
• Extent of drug use
• General population
• Youth population
• Injecting use
• Impact of drug use
• Treatment
• HIV infection
• Deaths due to drug use
• Supply side indicators
• Other specialised research
• Information from national networks/systems

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Data sources

• Data sources corresponding to each indicator
• General population national household survey

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Input

• Data sources

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Survey Data

• Direct measure of drug use
• self-reported drug use
• structured questionnaire
• Information on extent and nature of drug use
• Three main types
• General population
• School population
• Special population

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Indicator Data

• Indirect measure a reflection of drug use
• Measures trends and consequences
• Based on consequences of drug use
• e.g., illness,death, crime
• Common types
• Treatment admissions
• Arrests for possession and use
• Mortality - death due to drug use
• Emergency/ hospital admissions related to drugs

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Qualitative data

• Provides descriptive information on patterns and
  context of drug use
• Based on semi-structured or unstructured
  interviews
• Common methods
• Key informant questionnaires
• Focus groups
• In-depth interviews
• Ethnography

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Requirements

• Coordinator
• Network of professionals
• Network communication
• Mechanism for reporting
• Feed-back and revision
• Clear objectives

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Drug monitoring

• Objects under surveillance
• Drug use patterns
• Who uses which drugs, when, where, how
• Drug-related problems
• What are the negative effects for the individual
• What are the negative effects for the society
• Attitudes, opinions, perceptions regarding drugs
• Responses (interventions)
• Prevention
• Treatment
• Law enforcement
• Communication, information re. drugs, drug policy
• Other social responses

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Regional level

• Collate data from national level
• Use ATS questionnaire to do this
• Use regional meeting to discuss trends reported
• Outputs
• Regional drug trends information
• Share information between countries
• Compare with other regions global picture
• Need compatible but flexible reporting mechanisms
  at each level

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Interpretation

• National Network

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Dissemination

• Reporting and communication