"It's a delicate balance": clinicians' experiences of providing heroin-assisted treatment.

Background: Little attention has been paid to the experiences of clinicians and health personnel who provide heroin-assisted treatment (HAT). This study provides the first empirical findings about the clinicians' experiences of providing HAT in the Norwegian context.

Methods: 23 qualitative interviews were conducted with 31 clinicians shortly after HAT clinics opened in Norway's two largest cities: Oslo and Bergen.