Medication Considerations

Provides high-level overview of medication-assisted treatment for alcohol use disorder, including descriptions and potential side effects of acamprosate, disulfiram, naltrexone, and topiramate

Summarizes medication-assisted treatment (MAT) as an effective tool in treating alcohol use disorder (AUD) and reviews specific medications approved for MAT for AUD

Provides guidance on medication-assisted treatment for unhealthy alcohol use, specifically on benzodiazepines, during the COVID-19 pandemic

This guide presents three evidence based practices that engage and improve outcomes for youth and young adults with co-occurring SED/SMI and substance misuse or SUD. These approaches will assist clinicians, behavioral health organizations, primary care providers, schools, insurers, transformation experts, and policy makers to understand, select, and implement evidence-based interventions that support youth and young adult mental health. These include psychosocial interventions, family behavioral therapy, medication, proactive outreach, and use of web-based and other technologies.

This Advisory is based on the SAMHSA's Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) 42, Substance Use Disorder Treatment for People With Co-Occurring Disorders. It highlights strategies for counselors and administrators to properly screen, assess, diagnose, and manage the treatment of individuals with CODs.

This module introduces family support professionals and other service providers to basic information about the importance of medication compliance, and provides an understanding of how pregnant and parenting women being treated for behavioral health or medical conditions may be non-compliant or misuse medications. It prepares service providers to recognize women who may be at risk for noncompliance or misuse of medications, develop a plan for referral, and support women with behavioral health problems or medical condition.

This program — Support for Hospital Opioid Use Treatment (Project SHOUT) — provides clinical leaders with the tools they need to start and maintain patients on buprenorphine or methadone during hospitalizations for any condition, be it medical, surgical, or obstetric.

The ASAM Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder Course provides eight hours of required education to qualify for the waiver to prescribe buprenorphine in an office-based setting and covers essential information for providers to identify, assess, diagnose, and manage patients with opioid use disorder (OUD). The course covers the latest information on medications and treatments for OUD.

Lists online and in-person X-Waiver Trainings for physicians, advanced practice registered nurses (NP/CNM/CNS/CRNA), physician assistants, and medical students and provides an overview of the medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD).

SAMHSA recognizes the challenges posed by the current COVID-19 situation and is providing the following guidance on the provision of methadone and buprenorphine for the treatment of Opioid Use Disorder in the COVID-19 emergency for Opioid Treatment Programs.