[What can be expected today of pharmacotherapy in the Alcohol Use Disorders?]

During the last past years, numerous drug have been proposed to treat Alcohol Use Disorders. Besides classical drugs as acomprosate or naltrexone, new compounds are developed in this new indication. They are used in substitution therapies (baclofen), either when the aim of the treatment is total abstinence from alcohol or as an aid for craving reduction facilitating a "controlled drinking", or also for the maintaining of abstinence (nalmefene). Those drugs, availaible in diferent countries, are now marketed in France (nalmefene). As yet, baclofen may be prescribed in France by the mean of a Temporary Utilisation Recommandation, according to the settlement of the National Medicament Agency. Despite the emphasis of some spectacular effects of baclofen, highly publicised by the media and some enthousiastic practitioners, the drug dosage/frequency has to be assessed by two ongoing controlled studies. The pharmacotherapy remains, however, only one element in the treatment of alcoholism, a complex biopsychosocial disorder. Various forms of psychotherapy remain necessary, the pharmacotherapy being only one, sometimes useful, additionnal treatment.