MAT Standards Programme updates
This page will be updated until March 2025, when the programme is due to come to an end.
MAT Standards Pharmacy Impact Report (April 2024)
We engaged with a range of stakeholders to assess the impact and implications of the MAT Standards on the 1,271 community pharmacy services in Scotland. Our report details recommendations which will help to inform the design of a national improvement programme for MAT standards implementation. Findings from this work evidences the many ways people are supported by pharmacy, whilst challenging us to think about how to better deliver care within the challenging circumstances the system faces to reduce drug related harms and improve outcomes.
Continue reading: Assessing the impact and implications of the MAT Standards on community pharmacy services.
In developing this report we undertook a literature review to understand views from across the world, you can read those findings here:
- MAT Pharmacy Desk Review Literature Scan - Long Read
- MAT Pharmacy Desk Review Literature Scan - Short Read
MAT Standards National Learning Sessions
Materials from previous webinars in our National Learning System can be found below:
- Webinar 9: Supporting Recovery, Adapting to new Pressures (3 Sept 2024)
- Webinar 8: Community Pharmacy as an Essential Delivery Partner in MAT (18 June 2024)
- Webinar 7: Practice to Support the Implementation of MAT Standards 3 & 8 (23 April 2024)
- Webinar 6: System Response to Drug Trends - Insights and Reflections (31 Jan 2024)
- Webinar 5: Recovery and People Led Care (31 Oct 2023)
- Webinar 4: Collaboration: A Whole System Approach (1 Sep 2023)
- Webinar 3: Involvement for Improvement (21 Jul 2023)
- Webinar 2: Access, Choice and Support (9 Jun 2023)
- Webinar 1: Connections, Reflections and Progress (21 Apr 2023)
MAT Standards implementation case studies (2024)
Following on from our brief insights series, we will periodically produce a series of case studies spotlighting in greater depth various examples of MAT standards implementation work from across drug and alcohol services, pharmacy and the third sector.
Continue reading:
- Buchanhaven Pharmacy: A case study on accessible substance use services in the community
- Quality improvement in the system: MATPACT in NHS Highland
MAT Standards reflective insights (December 2023)
As part of the developing learning system to support the implementation of the MAT standards, we are releasing a series of reflections written by people working within the HIS MAT team and also people working externally. These are aimed to be short reads to give you insight into some of the people working to support the implementation of MAT standards and also working within the wider substance use landscape. The authors share their own experiences and reflections, highlighting the challenges they have identified working in this system and what they feel is important to enable the ongoing implementation of not only the MAT standards but also to influence the future design and delivery of services to enable people to have positive outcomes and receive person-centred, safe and effective substance use services.
Continue reading:
- Cocaine is not addictive, right? By Eddie Gorman, Project Manager, Harbour Ayrshire
- Reflections on moving sectors by Stephen Wishart, Improvement Advisor at Healthcare Improvement Scotland
- Reflections on pharmacy by Adrian MacKenzie, Improvement Advisor at Healthcare Improvement Scotland
- Reflections on alcohol services by Andrea Mohan, University of Dundee, and Elena Dimova, Glasgow Caledonian University
MAT Standards implementation brief insights (July 2023)
The Improvement Support for MAT Standards Implementation programme engaged with services across Scotland to develop a series of brief insights on innovations in local service delivery. There are 21 brief insights detailing local experiences of implementation. These insights have also supported the National Benchmarking Report on Implementation of the Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) Standards 2022-23.
Continue reading:
- Brief insight 1: Angus Integrated Drug & Alcohol Recovery Service (AIDARS): Same day access to Opiate Substitute Therapy (OST)
- Brief insight 2: Argyll & Bute Alcohol & Drug Partnership: Recovery Advocacy Services
- Brief insight 3: NHS Dumfries & Galloway: Long Acting Injectable Buprenorphine Service Development
- Brief insight 4: Dundee Drug & Alcohol Recovery Service (DDARS): Improving Access to Services
- Brief insight 5: NHS Fife: ADAPT-KY8 Community Recovery Group
- Brief insight 6: NHS Forth Valley: Substance Use Recovery Development Worker Pilot
- Brief insight 7: NHS Forth Valley: Community Buprenorphine Prescribing Pilot
- Brief insight 8: Glasgow City Alcohol & Drug Partnership: Sustainable Interventions Supporting Change Outside (SISCO): Multiple Pathways to Recovery
- Brief insight 9: Glasgow City ADP: The Wand Harm Reduction Initiative
- Brief insight 10: NHS Highland: Caithness Drug and Alcohol Recovery Service (CDARS): Assertive Outreach Project
- Brief insight 11: Highland Alcohol & Drug Partnership: Argyll & Bute Addiction Team (ABAT): Improving Choice and Access to Care in Cowal
- Brief insight 12: Inverclyde Alcohol & Drug Partnership: Turning Point Scotland: Early Help in Custody Team
- Brief insight 13: Mid & East Lothian Alcohol & Drug Partnership: East Lothian Substance Use Service: Assertive Outreach and Same Day Access
- Brief insight 14: Pan-Ayrshire Alcohol & Drug Partnerships: An Integrated Approach to MAT Implementation
- Brief insight 15: Perth & Kinross Alcohol & Drug Partnership: Integrated Drugs & Alcohol Team (IDART)
- Brief insight 16: Scottish Ambulance Service: Non-Fatal Overdose Pathway
- Brief insight 17: Scottish Borders Alcohol & Drug Partnership: Eyemouth Health Check Project
- Brief insight 18: Scottish Prison Service: HMP Edinburgh: Trauma Informed Practice Pilot
- Brief insight 19: Scottish Prison Service: HMP Perth: Persons of Concern Review Group
- Brief insight 20: West Dunbartonshire Alcohol & Drug Partnership: West Dunbartonshire Addiction Service: Same Day Access to MAT
- Brief insight 21: West Lothian Alcohol & Drug Partnership: A Human Rights Based Approach