Summary
The Law regulates prevention, detection, diagnosis, treatment and medical-social rehabilitation for substance use disorders. It defines addiction care as specialised medical care and allocates responsibilities among health, internal affairs, education and labour authorities, local government and community bodies. Prevention is described at primary, secondary and tertiary levels, ranging from preventing first non-medical use of psychoactive substances to stopping progression, relapse and adverse medical or social consequences.
People with substance use disorders have rights to information, participation in choosing outpatient or inpatient conditions, treatment methods and an individual plan, written consent, refusal, rehabilitation and protection of their interests. Diagnosis is reserved to an addiction specialist, while a medical commission decides on preventive or dispensary registration. Treatment generally requires written informed consent. Compulsory treatment is possible only through a court decision and when the combination of circumstances stated in the Law is present. The Law also addresses medical examination for intoxication, permitted disclosure of patient information, institutions for compulsory treatment, discharge and follow-up relapse-prevention care.
For practitioners, the Law sets expectations for discussing and recording the individual treatment and rehabilitation plan, consent and refusal, clinical follow-up, confidentiality and inter-agency disclosure only in specified circumstances. Staff must explain patient rights, observe medical ethics, maintain safety and use authorised methods of treatment. The voluntary basis of rehabilitation, qualification requirements for addiction-care staff, and distinction between routine clinical care, preventive or dispensary observation and court-ordered treatment are especially relevant in practice. Exact grounds, procedural steps and amendment history should be checked on the official LexUZ page.