An individual rehabilitation plan has to be made by the patient and the social service before MMT is started. If the patient has a serious and life threatening somatic disease, the first 3 criteria's must not be fulfilled. By the end of 1999 more than 500 patients will be in MMT in Norway. Methadone treatment is in principle available in all municipalities. From being a controversial approach, the use of methadone is presently regarded to be a public responsibility.
Insufficient capacity causes waiting lists, particularly in the capital, Oslo.
Criticism and pressure have shifted to capacity problems. The presentation describes the choices made and the models developed to adjust the program to the different situations in regions with marked differences in treatment system structure. The basic model is one of regional centers cooperating with country and local authorities. The local service system has a strategic position. These plans comprise housing, employment, education, activities, family and other network and diseases including mental health problems.