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Key Question #5
How Can Medication Aid an Individuals Recovery?

Medications can help suppress the withdrawal symptoms and cravings associated with the addiction, thereby helping to reduce drug and alcohol use and improve an individual’s chances of staying in treatment. Medications have also been shown to help normalize brain function.¹ Research has demonstrated that prescribing methadone or buprenorphine maintenance therapy for people who have a difficult time abstaining from opiates altogether can be an effective approach. Not only do these therapies reduce craving and withdrawal symptoms, but they make illicit opiates less rewarding if taken with the medication on board—as a result, the individual may stop using.² Research has shown that maintenance therapy reduces criminal activity and the spread of HIV in the treated population.  The overall death rate is also significantly reduced.  Programs that provide comprehensive services, including counseling, therapy, and medical care, along with the medication generally have better results than the programs that provide minimal services.³

In addition to the medications developed for opioid abuse (methadone, buprenorphine, naltrexone), there are several currently available for alcohol addiction: disulfiram (also known as antabuse), acamprosate, and naltrexone. Research trials are currently underway to identify medications that would have similar benefits for abuse of stimulants, such as cocaine and methamphetamine, and other drugs. Among these are several already marketed medications (for other indications), e.g., methylphenidate and bupropion have shown preliminary efficacy in treating amphetamine-dependent and methamphetamine-dependent subjects,⁴ respectively.

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