Treatment of Drug Addiction in the United States
Treatment of substance use disorder consists of a range of clinical interventions that can include group and individual therapy, medication for detoxification, and stabilization. The ultimate goal of treatment is to assist individuals in achieving stable, long-term recovery, enabling them to become productive, contributing members of society and eliminating the substantial public health, public safety, and economic consequences associated with active addiction.
Note: Learn about the Drug Addiction Recovery in this entry.
Early Intervention and Treatment
Early intervention and treatment improves health and saves money. Substance use has devastating effects on individuals, families, and communities, and impacts many Americans. Less visible, but still significant, is the impact substance use has on the healthcare system. Medical professionals spend a great deal of their time and resources treating patients with injuries and illnesses resulting from substance use disorders.
The Affordable Care Act, signed into law by President Obama in March 2010, includes substance use disorders as one of the ten elements of essential health benefits. This is significant because it means that all health insurance sold on Health Insurance Exchanges or provided by Medicaid to certain newly eligible adults starting in 2014 must include services for substance use disorders.
Integrating Treatment and Healthcare
Identifying substance use disorders early, in any health care setting, can prevent addiction and save money in the healthcare system, local economy and will save lives.
It is critical for medical professionals to be able to identify the early signs of substance abuse in their patients and to intervene early.
Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT)
SBIRT is a tool that healthcare professionals can use to ask patients about substance use during routine medical visits.
It helps healthcare providers identify patients with substance use disorders, provide them with medical advice, help them understand the health risks and consequences, and refer patients with more severe substance use-related problems to treatment.
From 2004 through 2008, Washington State achieved cost savings by targeting SBIRT to at-risk patients in emergency care settings and saved the state Medicaid program almost $2 million dollars per one year for just 1000 patients.
Screening and Brief Intervention is often as simple as a primary care doctor asking a few questions about a patient’s substance use history and providing feedback on how the patient can build a healthier life. This may include brief counseling or brief treatment for the patient focused on his or her alcohol or other drug use and its consequences. Early, brief interventions also pave the way for a patient whose alcohol or drug use goes beyond occasional heavy use to accept additional counseling or other services.
The Affordable Care Act
Learn about the Affordable Care Act and see more about health care legislation in this legal Encyclopedia.
Specialty Treatment
Increasing Access and Availability to Medication-Assisted Treatment
Effective medicines that are medically monitored are available to help stabilize patients with substance use disorders. Medications currently available to treat addiction include: methadone, buprenorphine, naltrexone, bupropion, varenicline, acamprosate, and disulfiram. Patients on sustained doses of methadone or buprenorphine can work to reduce their exposure to HIV and Hepatitis C by stopping or reducing injection drug use and drug-related high risk sexual behavior, and avoid crime and violence. Medication-assisted treatment should be delivered in conjunction with cognitive behavioral treatment.