Waiting Times for Substance Use Disorder Treatment in Norway

"Waiting times for treatment for drug and alcohol problems appear to be decreasing. The Norwegian National Patient Register publishes statistics every quarter of waiting times for treatment and violations of treatment guarantees. In interdisciplinary specialised treatment, the average waiting time in 2011 was 72 days for patients who were entitled to prioritised treatment (both alcohol and drug problems), a reduction of eight days from 2009. In the first four months of 2012, the waiting time decreased further to 66 days. The average waiting time for patients in mental
health care was 54 days in 2011, roughly the same as in the two preceding years. If the patient does not wish to accept the offer of treatment he/she is given, but chooses instead to wait for an available place in a particular institution, the waiting time will usually be considerably longer."