Guidance
Drug misuse and dependence: UK guidelines on clinical management
How clinicians should treat people with drug misuse and drug dependence problems.
Documents
Details
These guidelines are for clinicians and other healthcare professionals treating people with drug problems. It is often called the ‘orange book’.
The guidelines cover:
- essential elements of treatment provision
- psychosocial components of treatment
- pharmacological interventions
- the criminal justice system
- health considerations
- specific treatment situations and populations
The guidelines also emphasise recovery and the interventions that can support recovery.
Clinical guidance on harmful drinking and alcohol dependence treatment is available in the Clinical guidelines for alcohol treatment.
Updates to this page
Published 14 July 2017
Last updated 13 August 2026
Show all updates
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Added a link to the 'Clinical guidelines for alcohol treatment'.
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Updated with latest version of guidelines.
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First published.