The goal of treatment for opioid addiction or opioid use disorder (OUD) is remission of the disorder leading to lasting recovery.

Recovery is a process of change through which individuals improve their health and wellness, live self-directed lives, and strive to reach their full potential. 

This Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) reviews the use of the three Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved medications used to treat OUD—methadone, naltrexone, and buprenorphine—and the other strategies and services needed to support recovery for people with OUD.

Source:

Payer, D.E., Young, M.M., Maloney-Hall, B., Mill, C., Leclerc, P., Buxton, J., the Canadian Community Epidemiology Network on Drug Use, & the National Drug Checking Working Group. (2020). Adulterants, contaminants and co-occurring substances in drugs on the illegal market in Canada: An analysis of data from drug seizures, drug checking and urine toxicology. Ottawa, Ont.: Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction.

Provides a snapshot of the contents of drugs on the illegal market in Canada using 2018–2019 data from drug seizures, drug checking services and a drug monitoring...

Health care professionals around the world are fighting tirelessly to reduce the harm that is being caused by COVID-19.

Several public health organisations are creating and updating resources so that people can be updated on the changing situation and can use the knowledge to inform and adjust their practice.

NAADAC has brought together a selection of resources that offer both a general overview of the current climate as well as specific advice for health care professionals working in the DDR field.

Resources are grouped under the following headings:

• General Information 
• SUD-Specific...

Education plays a critical role in preventing substance abuse.

Drugs of Abuse, a DEA Resource Guide, is designed to be a reliable resource on the most commonly abused and misused drugs in the United States.

This comprehensive guide provides important information about the harms and consequences of drug use by describing a drug’s effects on the body and mind, overdose potential, origin, legal status, and other key facts.

As well as providing information on all the major drug classes, the resource guide describes the Controlled Substance Act and provides information on U.S. chemical control.

Opioid use and Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) continues to be a significant public health concern in the United States.

Several medications for OUD (MOUDs) are now considered by the medical community to be the criterion standard in OUD recovery

While many individuals with opioid use disorder seek treatment at residential facilities to initiate long-term recovery, the availability and use of MOUDs in these facilities are unclear.

A recent cross-sectional study, published in JAMA Network, has examined whether residential addiction treatment facilities in the United States use medications for...

This Strategy focuses on achieving one overarching strategic outcome:

Building a stronger, healthier, drug-free society today and in the years to come by drastically reducing the number of Americans losing their lives to drug addiction in today’s crisis, and preparing now to dominate the drug environment of the future. This will be done by preventing initiates to drug use, providing treatment services leading to long-term recovery for those suffering from addiction, and aggressively reducing the availability of illicit drugs in America’s communities.

"In 2018, nearly 89% of the estimated 20.2 million Americans with a substance use disorder (SUD) did not receive specialized treatment for their condition—a disparity known as the “treatment gap”. Today, the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy is pleased to release the President’s National Drug Control Strategy and the accompanying National Treatment Plan, an evidence-based framework to increase Americans’ access to high-quality SUD treatment and support those in long-term recovery.

The Treatment Plan addresses the many reasons for this treatment gap. Many Americans cannot...

Join together with drug prevention professionals from across the U.S. at our 8th Annual Drug Prevention Summit on February 17th and 18th, in Tampa, Florida. Don’t miss this incredible opportunity to hear from many influential leaders, including U.S. Surgeon General, VADM Jerome M. Adams, M.D., M.P.H and Harvard Medical School Professor, Bertha K. Madras, Ph.D. To register and learn more about the summit, visit this link: http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?oeidk=a07egiquch19a188507&llr=jqecsquab

There is growing concern about levels of opioid misuse amongst military veterans. Conditions, such as PTSD, brain injury, and chronic pain, elevate the risk among this population.

In a recent study, conducted by psychology professor Kaston Anderson-Carpenter- a behavioural and social scientist at Michigan State University, concerning trends became apparent amongst particular groups of veterans- namely bisexual veterans and veterans over the age of 50.

The research found that:

1. Bisexual women veterans are especially at risk for recent prescription opioid misuse.
2. Bisexual veterans have...