Opioid Substitution Therapy (OST) centres run under NACP dispense maintenance medication to persons who inject drugs. The pharmacological agents approved for use in Indian OST centres are:
- A Injectable morphine and oral codeine
- B Oral methadone and sublingual buprenorphine ✓
- C Oral naltrexone and injectable naloxone
- D Sublingual buprenorphine and injectable ketamine
Correct answer: B. Oral methadone and sublingual buprenorphine
Explanation
Indian OST services under NACO use oral methadone syrup and sublingual buprenorphine, both long-acting opioid agonists given daily under supervision to stabilise persons who inject drugs and reduce injecting and HIV risk. Methadone requires registered dedicated centres while buprenorphine can be dispensed through more peripheral sites. Naltrexone is an antagonist used for relapse prevention in motivated abstinent patients, not maintenance agonist therapy, and naloxone is solely a reversal agent for overdose.
Reference: Park's Textbook of Preventive and Social Medicine, 27th ed.
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