Addiction Medicine

Prescription Drugs - Now the Most Commonly Abused Drugs Among Young Teens

US Attorney Richard S. Hartunian has joined with the Partnership at Drugfree.org to promote its national campaign entitled the ‘Medicine Abuse Project’ which began on Sept. 23, 2012.

Governor Announces New Regulations to Crack Down on Synthetic Drugs

DOH has issued new regulations that expand the existing list of prohibited drugs and chemicals to include dozens more substances that are now used to make synthetic drugs.

Withdrawal Management for 822 programs

Medication Management of Mild to Moderate Withdrawal in Part 822- 4 and 822 - 5 Programs

Addiction Medicine is the medical management of the disease of addiction in conjunction with substance use disorder treatment to enhance treatment retention, support successful outcomes and promote ongoing, long-term recovery. The historical understanding of successful addiction recovery has been attaining and maintaining complete abstinence from all mood-altering substances, including prescribed medications. As our knowledge of the physiological effects of addiction and brain chemistry has increased and the development of addiction medications expanded, our understanding of successful recovery has changed.

Medication Supported Recovery (MSR), often called Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) adds pharmacotherapy (prescribed addiction medications) to substance use disorder treatment to help improve treatment retention and outcomes. OASAS prefers and promotes the use of the term “Medication Supported Recovery" because the use of medications to support ongoing, successful recovery sometimes needs to continue long after treatment completion.

The Addiction Medicine pages provide valuable information on Medication Supported Recovery as well as other topics integral to successful, whole-person, individualized treatment and recovery. Offering resources and information for a variety of individuals, from physicians and professionals to parents and teens, Addiction Medicine topics include drugs of abuse, co-occurring physical and mental health issues, professional guidance, emergency alerts and Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT). These pages also offer helpful information and resources for treatment patients and persons in recovery, including those prescribed Methadone, Buprenorphine or another addiction medication as a component of their treatment and recovery plan.