Table 1.
Basic characteristics of patients receiving OAT from 2013 to 2017 in Norway
| Basic characteristics | Total | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 |
| Individuals>1 OAT | 10 371 | 7709 | 7914 | 7958 | 7804 | 7709 |
| Deaths | 692 | 165 | 151 | 138 | 114 | 124 |
| Gender, n (%) | ||||||
| Male | 7135 (69) | 5221 (69) | 5390 (69) | 5430 (69) | 5354 (70) | 5254 (69) |
| Female | 3236 (31) | 2323 (31) | 2373 (31) | 2390 (31) | 2336 (30) | 2340 (31) |
| Age, n (%) | ||||||
| <25 | 211 (3) | 185 (2) | 171 (3) | 135 (2) | 120 (2) | |
| 26–40 | 2813 (37) | 2797 (36) | 2718 (40) | 2574 (33) | 2432 (32) | |
| 41–60 | 4289 (57) | 4537 (58) | 3644 (53) | 4627 (60) | 4613 (61) | |
| >60 | 231 (3) | 244 (3) | 287 (4) | 354 (5) | 420 (6) | |
| OAT medication, n (%) | ||||||
| Methadone/levomethadone | 3406 (45) | 3264 (42) | 3216 (41) | 3066 (40) | 2981 (39) | |
| Buprenorphine based* | 4138 (55) | 4499 (58) | 4604 (59) | 4624 (60) | 4604 (61) | |
| Dispensions of HCV drugs† | 1475 | 146 | 167 | 243 | 322 | 597 |
| OAT continuity category, n (%) | ||||||
| I: ≥2 DDD | 5310 (51) | |||||
| II: 1–2 DDD | 3078 (30) | |||||
| III: <1 DDD | 1983 (19) | |||||
*Buprenorphine and buprenorphine/naloxone.
†HCV drugs: interferon-based and DAAs.
DDDs, Daily defined Doses; HCV, hepatitis C virus; NorPD, Norwegian prescription database; OAT, opioid agonist therapy.