Reducing Drug Abuse and Overdose: Analysis and Quality Improvement Proposal

Substance Misuse/Opiate Overdose
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Part 4: Critical Analysis of the Background and Drivers for the Quality Improvement Proposal
Substance abuse and addiction are a growing phenomenon among individuals released from police custody despite the criminal justice’s effort to reduce this problem. Most people in police custody report having used drugs in their lifetime (Chamberlain et al., 2019). Although experts have agreed that addiction is a treatable mental disease, most people do not receive treatment (Belenko et al., 2013). Involvement in the criminal justice system often originates from unlawful drug-seeking behavior and participation in illegal activities that reflect disrupted behaviour triggered by repeated substance use (Chandler et al., 2019). Treating drug-involved delinquents offers a unique opportunity to reduce substance abuse, its associated criminal behavior, and negative outcomes (Carver et al., 2021). After release from custody, drug resumption carries several risks, including transmitting infectious diseases, exacerbation of mental health conditions, and death caused by overdose (Chamberlain et al., 2019). Since substance abuse and mental health status co-occur, post-release drug abuse may also lead to severe mental health issues and minimize the medical care required (Gerra et al., 2019). Therefore, clinicians and policymakers need to prioritize preventing negative outcomes of substance abuse and addiction.
Analysis of the Topic and QI Proposal
The quality improvement project aims to use the UK (Scotland) policies and legislation that can help reduce harm among adults over the age of 18 being released from police custody. This is due to the increase in drug-related deaths in Scotland. Most recent reports indicate that drug-related deaths have increased since 1996, but the upward trend has been steeper since 2013 (National Records of Scotland, 2021). For instance, Scotland recorded more than 1,339 drug-related deaths in 2020 (National Records of Scotland, 2021). This was about 5% more than in the previous year and the largest number ever recorded since the beginning of the series in 1996 (McDonald et al., 2021). Over the last two decades, the number of drug-related deaths has increased significantly. Studies indicate 4.6 times as many deaths in 2020 compared with 2000 (National Records of Scotland, 2021). The increase in the number of drug-related deaths in Scotland prompted the quality proposal improvement plan to reduce the drug overdose in people released from police custody. These individuals are at high risk of overdose and negative outcomes. Scottish harm reduction strategies focus on pharmacological and psychotherapy interventions.
NICE guidelines also outlines psychotherapy methods such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) (Baker et al., 2006). Once the patient is released from police custody, mental health staff can refer them to a reputable therapist or organization for help. Evidence shows that therapists who specialize in addiction recovery can help patients with substance abuse problems set achievable short-term goals as they work to manage their addiction (McHugh e...