Related Experiment Videos
Guideline development for office-based pharmacotherapies for opioid dependence
David A Fiellin1, Andrea G Barthwell,
1Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520-8025, USA. david.fiellin@yale.edu
Journal of Addictive Diseases
|January 16, 2004
Summary
Methadone medical maintenance offers an alternative to traditional programs for opioid-dependent patients. This paper reviews guidelines developed to support this treatment model for physicians and policymakers.
Area of Science:
- Addiction Medicine
- Pharmacology
- Public Health
Background:
- Opioid agonist maintenance treatment (OAT) is effective but access remains a challenge.
- Methadone medical maintenance (MMM) provides an alternative to standard narcotic treatment programs (NTPs).
- MMM is suitable for stable, recovered, and socially rehabilitated opioid-dependent patients.
Framework:
- The Medical Maintenance Consensus Panel convened to address guidelines for MMM.
- The panel aimed to clarify appropriate use and implementation of MMM.
- Two key guidelines were developed for healthcare providers and policymakers.
Implementation:
- MMM involves coordinating methadone services within a physician's office setting.
- This model facilitates easier access to essential OAT for eligible patients.
- Successful implementation requires clear guidelines for physicians and treatment programs.
Implications:
- Developed guidelines aim to standardize and improve MMM.
- These guidelines support physicians, narcotic treatment programs, and policymakers.
- Enhancing access to effective opioid use disorder treatment is a key public health goal.