Medications for Opioid Use Disorders Save Lives
2019
This consensus study report from the National Academies Press (NAP) examines the use of medication-based treatments for opioid use disorder (OUD). More than two million people in the U.S. are estimated to have opioid use disorder caused by prescription opioids, heroin, or other illicit opioids. Because of opioid use disorder, there is a 20-fold greater risk of early death from overdose, suicide, infectious diseases and trauma—in 2017, there were 47,000 deaths in the U.S. attributed to OUD. These drugs alter brain functioning and need to be addressed with medications, like methadone, for treatment. However, these lifesaving medications are not always available for many suffering from OUD; when medication is available, access is inequitable across subgroups of the population. This report studies the evidence base on medication assisted treatment (MAT) for OUD and examines the ways in which MAT can be delivered to those needing it. The report is accompanied by a brief summarizing the key findings.
Medications for Opioid Use Disorders Save Lives
Source:
Medications for Opioid Use Disorder Save Lives. The National Academies Press 2019. DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/25310.