40 ára afmælisráðstefna SÁÁ: New patterns in addiction in Finland and challenges for the addiction treatment system
Kaarlo Simojoki MD, PhD, Chief Medical Officer of the A-Clinic Foundation

Languages:
Finnish
German
English
Swedish

Training:
1999 M.D. at University of Helsinki
2006 Specialist in Addiction Medicine
2013 Ph.D at University of Helsinki

Current position:
Medical Director at A-Clinic Ltd and senior Medical expert at A-clinic Foundation – in total 16 year of clinical experience –

Other positions:
Medical expert in addiction at National Supervisory Agency for Welfare and Health Member of a working group appointed by the prime minister of Finland to find solutions for halting the growing inequality
Member of Current Care guidelines expert group: a) Treatment of alcohol abuse and b) Treatment of drug abuse
Member of the division for mental health and substance abuse services at Council for Choices in Health Care in Finland (Ministry of Social Affairs and Health)
Member of the national Hep-C strategy 2017-2019 group (Ministry of Social Affairs and Health) and member of HIV and HCV expert group (National Institute for Health and Welfare)
Member at the board of the Finnish Society of Addiction medicine and of the society’s education committee.
Continues media appearances as an expert: newspapers, radio and TV

Previous positions (selected):
Clinician at Addiction centers and hospital, 2000- 2014
Chief physician at A-clinic Foundation Metropolitan area 2006- 2013
Immediate manager, Research and Development Unit for Medical Education (TUKE) at Helsinki University 2001-2002
Different administrable positions and commission of trust at University of Helsinki 1995- 2003
CEO, Locus Medicus Finland Ab/Oy 2000-2001

Research:
Clinical and pharmacological treatment of alcohol and opioid dependence, HCV, gambling, different aspects of addiction, treatment and especially opioid maintenance treatment.

Publications (latest papers):
Drug and Alcohol Dependence. 162, s. 227-235, Factors associated with nonadherence and misuse of opioid maintenance treatment medications and intoxicating drugs among Finnish maintenance treatment patients, Launonen, E., Wallace, I., Kotovirta, E., Alho, H. & Simojoki, K.

International Journal of Drug Policy 2015, Diversion of opioid maintenance treatment medications and predictors for diversion among Finnish maintenance treatment patients, Essiina Launonen, Hannu Alho, Elina Kotovirta, Isla Wallace, Kaarlo Simojoki

Drug Testing and Analysis 2015, Patterns of drug abuse among drug users with regular and irregular attendance for treatment as detected by comprehensive UHPLC-HR-TOFMS, Sundstrom Mira, Pelander Anna, Simojoki Kaarlo and Ojanpera Ilkka

Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy 2015, 10:4 doi:10.1186/1747-597X-10-4, Short report: Past-year gambling behaviour among patients receiving opioid substitution treatment, Sari Castrén, Anne H Salonen1, Hannu Alho1, Tuuli Lahti and Kaarlo Simojoki

Journal of Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, 2013; 1:111. doi:10.4172/jaldd.1000113, Driving, Opioid-maintenance, and Co-medications: A Comprehensive Assessment of 22 Cases, Rapeli P, Kuikka P, Sillanpää H, Fabritius C, Simojoki K, et al. (2013)