Medication-Assisted Therapies

Description:

Panelists: Dr. H. Westley Clark, Director, Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS); Dr. Francis “Frank” Vocci, Director, Division of Treatment Research & Development, National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA); Dr. Mark Willenbring, Director, Division of Treatment and Recovery Research, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA); Dana Moulton, Project Assistant, Massachusetts Organization for Addiction Recovery (MOAR) 

Program: Both opioid and alcohol addictions currently can be treated in many ways. These complex diseases involve physiological, psychological, genetic, behavioral, and environmental factors. They share features of other drug dependencies and often require unique treatment strategies. No single treatment approach is effective in all cases. Abstinence, usually accepted as the primary goal of addiction treatment, is not feasible as an exclusive goal for all opioid as well as alcohol-dependent persons. Medications such as methadone and buprenorphine are effective, safe, and an integral part of opioid-related addiction medicine. This program looks at the science, methodology, and effectiveness of medication-assisted therapies for both opioid dependence and alcoholism and their implications for the future of addiction treatment.

 

Host:
Ivette Torres, Associate Director for Consumer Affairs, Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).