Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) uses pharmaceuticals, such as methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone, to help people recover from opioid use disorders. A physician must have specialized training to prescribe methadone or buprenorphine for an opioid use disorder, but any medical professional with prescribing privileges under state law can prescribe naltrexone.
The following SAMHSA resources are designed to help medical professionals administer MAT:
- Clinical Use of Extended-Release Injectable Naltrexone in the Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder: A Brief Guide – 2014 provides guidance on assessing the need for treatment, initiating treatment, monitoring patient progress, adjusting the treatment plan, and deciding whether and when to end treatment
- Sublingual and Transmucosal Buprenorphine for Opioid Use Disorder: Review and Update – 2016 is a SAMHSA-issued advisory for physicians, other health care professionals, and health care policymakers that addresses the safety and effectiveness of buprenorphine for the treatment of opioid use disorder, informed consent and treatment agreements, and monitoring strategies
- Providers’ Clinical Support System for Medication-Assisted Treatment, a national training and mentoring project partially funded by SAMHSA, offers online and live training, as well as free webinars with continuing medical education (CME) credit
- Federal Guidelines for Opioid Treatment Programs – 2015 sets forth what is necessary to provide comprehensive care in relation to opioid treatment programs, with specific mention of regulations on methadone and buprenorphine
- Understanding the Final Rule for a Patient Limit of 275 – 2016 (PDF | 163 KB) explains new guidelines for the number of patients to whom physicians can prescribe buprenorphine
The following are external resources (not produced by SAMHSA) on the treatment of opioid use disorder among people experiencing homelessness:
- The United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) released Strategies to Address the Intersection of the Opioid Crisis and Homelessness, which includes improving access to treatment