International Journal of Drug Policy: review time and acceptance speed
ISSN 0955-3959 · ISSN 1873-4758 · Elsevier BV · Medicine
Half of the articles International Journal of Drug Policy accepted in 2025 were accepted within 123 days of submission (n = 308); the middle half took 85–162 days.
Accepted articles only · dates deposited by the publisher in PubMed · data as of Sep 15, 2026
How long does International Journal of Drug Policy take to accept a paper?
| Year | Articles (n) | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | 90th pct | Accepted <14 days | Have a revised date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 308 | 85 | 123 | 162 | 226 | 1.6% | 99% |
| 2024 | 271 | 95 | 133 | 178 | 221 | 1.5% | 99% |
| 2023 | 249 | 95 | 129 | 167 | 246 | 0.8% | 100% |
| 2022 | 226 | 85 | 116 | 151 | 194 | 0.9% | 98% |
| 2021 | 305 | 100 | 143 | 197 | 257 | 0.3% | 100% |
| 2020 | 335 | 82 | 126 | 184 | 256 | 0.3% | 99% |
- 2026: not shown yet — a year is reported once late-indexed articles have arrived (at least 180 days after it ends).
Distribution in 2025
Show as a table
| Days | Articles | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 0–29 | 11 | 3.6% |
| 30–59 | 17 | 5.5% |
| 60–89 | 53 | 17.2% |
| 90–119 | 64 | 20.8% |
| 120–149 | 66 | 21.4% |
| 150–179 | 41 | 13.3% |
| 180–209 | 17 | 5.5% |
| 210–239 | 12 | 3.9% |
| 240–269 | 11 | 3.6% |
| 270–299 | 6 | 1.9% |
| 300–329 | 6 | 1.9% |
| 330–359 | 1 | 0.3% |
| 360+ | 3 | 1.0% |
From acceptance to online publication
After acceptance, half of the 2025 articles appeared online within 11 days (middle half 8–15 days, n = 308).
From submission to online publication, the median was 138 days (middle half 101–179 days, n = 308).
Read these numbers carefully
- These times describe articles the journal accepted. Rejected manuscripts never appear in public data, so they cannot tell you how long a rejection takes.
- Dates are the ones the publisher deposited with PubMed. Some publishers record the date a revised manuscript arrived as the submission date, which makes review look faster.
- Invited articles and special issues can move faster than regular submissions.
Open access status and publishing fees
Subscription or hybrid (not determined). Listed APC: about $4,350 (as reported by OpenAlex).
No institutional payments for this journal are recorded in OpenAPC.
Many journals waive or reduce fees for authors from eligible countries or institutions with publishing agreements — check with the journal and your library.
Integrity and indexing signals
Facts from public records, shown without judgement. See the methodology for why each can be worth a closer look.
| Listed in DOAJ | No |
|---|---|
| Articles indexed for MEDLINE in 2025 | Yes |
| Retractions | 0 retracted articles among 1,374 added to PubMed in 2021–2025 (0.00 per 1,000), per the Retraction Watch Database. |
| Accepted within 14 days of submission | 1.6% of 2025 articles |
| Publication volume | 296 articles added to PubMed in 2025 (+5% vs 2024). |
Topics and scope
- HIV, Drug Use, Sexual Risk (23% of indexed topics)
- Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes (16% of indexed topics)
- Opioid Use Disorder Treatment (14% of indexed topics)
- Forensic Toxicology and Drug Analysis (5% of indexed topics)
- Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research (5% of indexed topics)
- HIV/AIDS Research and Interventions (5% of indexed topics)
Similar journals — faster or cheaper, side by side
Journals publishing on the most similar topics (OpenAlex), ordered by similarity. Only 2025 figures are compared with the 2025 median of International Journal of Drug Policy, 123 days.
| Paid APC median | DOAJ | MEDLINE | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harm Reduction Journal | 188 (2025, n = 235) | $3,390 | $2,860 (6 payments) | Yes | Yes |
| Drug and Alcohol Dependence Reports | 87 (2025, n = 84) | $2,230 | — | Yes | No |
| Substance Abuse Treatment Prevention and Policy | 210 (2025, n = 65) | $3,190 | — | Yes | Yes |
| Journal of Substance Use and Addiction Treatment | 190 (2025, n = 152) | ≈$3,440 | — | No | Yes |
| Addiction Science & Clinical Practice | 210 (2025, n = 101) | $2,890 | — | Yes | Yes |
| Journal of Addiction Medicine | 114 (2025, n = 186) | — | — | No | Yes |
| Drug and Alcohol Dependence | 144 (2025, n = 343) | ≈$4,380 | — | No | Yes |
| Drug and Alcohol Review | 201 (2025, n = 179) | ≈$4,430 | — | No | Yes |
No journals match these filters.
Frequently asked questions
How long does International Journal of Drug Policy take to accept a paper?
Half of the articles International Journal of Drug Policy accepted in 2025 were accepted within 123 days of submission (n = 308); the middle half took 85–162 days. Based on dates in PubMed for accepted articles only.
How long after acceptance are International Journal of Drug Policy articles published online?
Half of the articles accepted in 2025 appeared online within 11 days of acceptance (n = 308).
Does International Journal of Drug Policy charge an article processing charge (APC)?
Listed APC: about $4,350 (as reported by OpenAlex).
Sources and method
Journal identity: ISSN-L 0955-3959; NLM ID 9014759; OpenAlex record. Speed figures use 308 articles accepted in 2025 with valid dates; excluded records for that year: none.
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Data sources. Submission, acceptance and publication dates: Courtesy of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (PubMed, entries through Sep 15, 2026). NLM does not endorse Journal Clock, and these figures may not reflect the most current PubMed data. Journal fees and open-access listing: DOAJ (CC0, retrieved Sep 16, 2026). Fees paid by institutions: OpenAPC (Open Database License, retrieved Sep 16, 2026). Retractions: Retraction Watch Database via Crossref (retrieved Sep 16, 2026). Journal identifiers and topics: OpenAlex (CC0). Currency conversion: ECB reference rates (Sep 15, 2026). How these numbers are calculated · For organisations.