A new guide on the use of medications to treat patients with alcohol use disorder has been released by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration in conjunction with National Alcohol Awareness Month.
The guide provides an overview of four Food and Drug Administration–approved drugs developed to treat alcohol use disorder: disulfiram, oral naltrexone, extended-release injectable naltrexone, and acamprosate. It also discusses how to screen, treat, and monitor patients based on their individual needs.
“Current evidence shows that medications are underused in the treatment of alcohol use disorder,” the agency said in a statement announcing the new guidance. “As the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) continues to be implemented, there is considerable potential for expanding use of medication-assisted treatment to treat alcohol use disorder,” they concluded.
The guide can be found online at http://store.samhsa.gov.
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