USA. Fact Sheet: Medication-Assisted Treatment Improves Outcomes for Patients With Opioid Use Disorder
USA. Fact Sheet: Medication-Assisted Treatment Improves Outcomes for Patients With Opioid Use Disorder
Overview
Opioid overdoses cause one death every 20 minutes. Medication-assisted treatment (MAT)—a combination of psychosocial therapy and U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved medication—is the most effective intervention to treat opioid use disorder (OUD) and is more effective than either behavioral interventions or medication alone. MAT significantly reduces illicit opioid use compared with nondrug approaches, and increased access to these therapies can reduce overdose fatalities. However, MAT is often unavailable to those in need of it because of inadequate funding for treatment programs and a lack of qualified providers who can deliver these therapies.
(Fact Sheet, Substance Use Prevention and Treatment Initiative, 22.11.2016)