Clinical Guidelines

Offer evidence-based recommendations for clinicians about the care of patients.

Overview of Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Care Clinical Guidelines: A Resource for States Developing SUD Delivery System Reforms

Provides information about prevention, treatment, and recovery services and levels of care on the continuum of SUD care. Includes an overview of nationally developed guidelines for SUD treatment and useful tools and examples of State-based initiatives.

Medication-Assisted Treatment for Opioid Addiction in Opioid Treatment Programs. Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) Series 43

Describes the nature and dimensions of OUDs and their treatment, consensus panel recommendations and evidence-based best practices for opioid treatment programs (OTPs), related co-occurring disorders and their treatment, and ethical considerations that arise in most OTPs.

Clinical Guidelines for the Use of Buprenorphine in the Treatment of Opioid Addiction. Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) Series 40.

Provides guidance on the use of buprenorphine among a number of topics, including physiology and pharmacology of opioids, opioid addiction, and buprenorphine treatment; screening and assessment of OUDs; protocols for buprenorphine treatment; management of special populations; and policies and procedures related to DATA 2000.

Guidelines for the Psychosocially Assisted Pharmacological Treatment of Opioid Dependence

Provides guidelines related to opioid dependence that aim to: reduce global barriers to effective treatment; contribute to the development of evidence-based, ethical treatment policies; contribute to improvement of the quality of pharmacological treatment; and facilitate implementation of effective treatment policies and programs.

The ASAM National Practice Guideline for the Use of Medications in the Treatment of Addiction Involving Opioid Use

Provides an overview of the key points of the National Practice Guideline, detailed recommendations for OUD diagnosis, and information on treatment settings and opioid withdrawal. Describes MAT options and considerations for treating special populations. Links to additional resources, such as a pocket guide and a slide deck.

CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain – United States, 2016

Provides recommendations for primary care clinicians who are prescribing opioids for chronic pain outside of active cancer treatment, palliative care, and end-of-life care. Addresses timing of opioid use for chronic pain; opioid selection, dosage, duration, followup, and discontinuation; and ways to assess risk and address harms of opioid use.