This guidance is for local authority commissioners and service providers who are considering setting up an injectable opioid treatment (IOT) service.

It will help them to understand the complex clinical and financial issues they need to consider in their planning. And it will also help those deciding to set up a service by encouraging consistency, quality and safety.

The guidance includes:

• advice on commissioning and developing an IOT service
• recommendations on the clinical and operational elements of an IOT service
• detailed operating procedures for an IOT service
• details of the expert advisory group that informed the guidance and its terms of reference