PrintMedication-Assisted Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) with methadone, buprenorphine, or naltrexone, has been proven to help patients recover from opioid addiction.
These medications are:
- Safe
- Cost-effective
- Reduce the risk of overdose and death
- Reduce drug craving
- Increase treatment retention
- Improve social functioning
- Reduce the risk of infectious disease transmission
- Reduce the risk of relapse
- Reduce criminal activity
Methadone and buprenorphine are associated with significantly lower overdose death compared with non-medication treatments during care but not after treatment is discontinued [1]
[1] Krawczyk N, Mojtabai R, Stuart EA, et al. Opioid agonist treatment and fatal overdose risk in a state-wide US population receiving opioid use disorder services. Addiction. 2020 Sep;115(9):1683-1694.