Opioid Use Disorder Treatment: Video Transcript
Arwen Podesta, MD, ABPN, FASAM, ABIHM, recently discussed the prevalence of medication-assisted treatment in opioid use disorder, and other important components of a treatment plan. Read the full transcript of the video below.
Question: How often are medication-assisted treatments used to treat opioid use disorder? Has the rate of usage changed in recent years?
Answer: Medication-assisted treatment has been available for a long time for opioid use disorder. However, it was rarely used. In fact, less than one-third of the patients in the nine days were put on any sort of medication-assisted treatment, maybe even less than that.
The rate has expanded greatly over the past, maybe five years, with people like myself and my colleagues educating and really getting people to understand that there is availability. There are more tools in the toolbox and that’s really what we’re using is just a wealth or a breadth of tools in the toolbox.
Question: In addition to medication, what are the most important components of a treatment plan for opioid use disorder?
Answer: People suffering from opioid use disorder, especially in early treatment, really need some lifestyle management and accountability. Cognitive behavioral therapy and other evidence-based individual and group therapies is imperative to help people have a sense of improved cognition and well-being and also, to help with accountability.
A lot of people that have been struggling with opioid use disorder, whether it’s pain pills as prescribed by a prescriber, or whether it’s something like heroin, they have a lot of guilt and shame and a lot of isolation and a lot of hiding and so keeping it discreet, but also open enough that there is a sense of accountability and a sense of pride in making those changes can be incredibly therapeutic.
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