[Theory and practice of finding a therapeutic vacancy for addicts--demonstrated in the case of a female patient habituated to heroin (author's transl)].

This article tries to describe the problems, difficulties and setbacks experienced by patients, doctors, psychologists or social workers when looking for a public health insurance body competent to bear the cost, as well as for a vacancy in a suitable hospital or institution where appropriate therapy can be effected. The case history of a female heroin addict was chosen as a model example to show that the simultaneous activities by a variety of offices or bodies is rarely crowned with succes. The author surveys several other cases where similar protacted mechanisms of decision to be arrive at by bodies who might be requested to bear the cost interfered with the therapy in patients addicted to alcohol and/or drugs. A suggestion is presented aiming at arriving at a decision in minimum time and according to a compact pattern.