Spanish Best Practice Portal in Drug Demand Reduction and Behavioural Addictions

Sharing and exchange of best practices to actual transfer to other countries is an important tool that helps to bridge the gap between public health challenges and practical solutions [1]. In European Union (EU), a best practice is defined as “a relevant policy or intervention implemented in a real life setting which has been favourably assessed in terms of adequacy (ethics and evidence) and equity as well as effectiveness and efficiency related to process and outcomes. Other criteria are important for successful transferability of the practice, such as a clear definition of the context, sustainability, intersectorality and participation of stakeholders” [2]. 

On the other hand, Quality Standards (QS) are a significant tool to improve the quality in Drug Demand Reduction and Behavioural Addictions (DDRBA) interventions and represent a priority in EU Drug Strategies [3]. 

In this context arises the FENIQS-EU project, that was designed to “Further Enhance the Implementation of Quality Standards” in drug prevention, treatment, and harm reduction across Europe, with more services, organisations, and countries applying QS in daily practice [4]. One of the findings of the FENIQS-EU project was the Spanish Best Practice Portal in DDRBA selected as a highly inspirational example of a complex and comprehensive approach including all the areas of drug demand reduction [5]. 

Any action aimed at preventing and reducing the presence of addictions and their associated damage must be empirically proven, have a scientific basis, and be efficient, seeking measurable results that can be evaluated, and thus promote best practices [6]. Thus, Spanish Best Practice Portal is a transversal action of the Spain’s National Strategy on Addictions 2017-2024 with the following objective: “Establish and disseminate through the website a catalogue of best practices based on programmes (that addresses drugs and behavioural addictions) recognised by the NPD with the aim of making those programmes the ones primarily implemented by the Public Administrations” [6]. The main results of this transversal action were: 1) design the Spanish Best Practice Portal in DDRBA available atwww.buenaspracticasadiciones.es; 2) design a programme evaluation system in the field of drug demand reduction and behavioural addictions; 3) identification, evaluation and dissemination of programmes as best practices in drug demand reduction and behavioural addictions, 4) dissemination and regular updating of the available evidence; 5) training of professionals aimed at improving the quality of addiction prevention programmes. 

This project, has taken as its reference the common procedure for the identification, collection, and dissemination of best practice in the Spanish National Health System and the European Drug Prevention Quality Standards, to evaluate and recognise an addiction prevention program as best practice [7]. A key element for the success of this project is to promote the evaluation of the effectiveness and the scientific evidence of the programmes among prevention professionals and political decision makers. Now, in Spain, this promotion is carried out through the Spanish Best Practice Portal in DDRBA. The creators of programmes and political decision makers should see it as an opportunity to improve health outcomes and investment in health. 

This is a real life framework of how to approach best practice in Spain and even in the European context. There are not many national registries yet, especially not so complete as Spanish one. It is a sustainable and transferable project because it has the support of political decision makers at the national and regional level.

1. Stepien M, Keller I, Takki M, Caldeira S (2022) European public health best practice portal - process and criteria for best practice assessment. Arch Public Health 80: 131.
2. European Commission (2021) Criteria to select best practices in health promotion and disease prevention and management in Europe. European Commission, Belgium.
3. Council of the European Union (2020) EU Drugs Strategy (2021-2025). Council of the European Union, Belgium.
4. Vanderplasschen W, Jerkovic D, Miovsky M (2023) FENIQS-EU: New Perspectives on Quality Assurance in Prevention, Harm Reduction, Treatment, and Recovery from Addictions New Trends in Professionalization of the Workforce. Adiktologie 23: 5-7.
5. Monteagudo-Piqueras O, Puerta C, Duch M, González-Roz A, De Silva A, et al. (2023) Spanish project of best practice portal in drug demand reduction and behavioural addictions. ADIKTOLOGIE Journal 23: 89-94.
6. Government Delegation for the National Plan on Drugs (2017) National Strategy on Addictions 2017- 2024. Government delegation for the National Plan on Drugs, Madrid, Spain.
7. European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (2011) European drug prevention quality standards. A manual for prevention professionals. European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, Lisbon, Portugal.