Pharmacotherapy for Substance Use Disorders

Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) is a form of pharmacotherapy and refers to any treatment for a substance use disorder that includes a pharmacologic intervention as part of a comprehensive substance abuse treatment plan with an ultimate goal of patient recovery with full social function.

In the US, MAT has been demonstrated to be effective in the treatment of alcohol dependence with Food and Drug Administration approved drugs such as disulfiram, naltrexone and acamprosate; and opioid dependence with methadone, naltrexone and buprenorphine.

As part of a comprehensive treatment program, MAT has been shown to:

• Improve survival
• Increase retention in treatment
• Decrease illicit opiate use
• Decrease hepatitis and HIV seroconversion
• Decrease criminal activities
• Increase employment
• Improve birth outcomes with perinatal addicts

Medications for Alcohol Dependence

• Naltrexone (ReVia®, Vivitrol®, Depade®)
• Disulfiram (Antabuse®)
• Acamprosate Calcium (Campral®)

Medications for Opioid Dependence

• Methadone
• Buprenorphine (Suboxone® and Subutex®)
• Naltrexone