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The pharmacological treatment of opioid addiction—a clinical perspective

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Abstract

This article reviews the main pharmacotherapies that are currently being used to treat opioid addiction. Treatments include detoxification using tapered methadone, buprenorphine, adrenergic agonists such as clonidine and lofexidine, and forms of rapid detoxification. In opioid maintenance treatment (OMT), methadone is most widely used. OMT with buprenorphine, buprenorphine-naloxone combination, or other opioid agonists is also discussed. The use of the opioid antagonists naloxone (for the treatment of intoxication and overdose) and oral and sustained-release formulations of naltrexone (for relapse prevention) is also considered. Although recent advances in the neurobiology of addictions may lead to the development of new pharmacotherapies for the treatment of addictive disorders, a major challenge lies in delivering existing treatments more effectively. Pharmacotherapy of opioid addiction alone is usually insufficient, and a complete treatment should also include effective psychosocial support or other interventions. Combining pharmacotherapies with psychosocial support strategies that are tailored to meet the patients’ needs represents the best way to treat opioid addiction effectively.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Addiction Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Aker, Oslo, Norway

    Philipp Lobmaier & Helge Waal

  2. Norwegian Centre for Addiction Research, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway

    Philipp Lobmaier, Michael Gossop, Helge Waal & Jorgen Bramness

  3. National Addiction Centre, King’s College London, London, UK

    Michael Gossop

  4. Department of Pharmacoepidemiology, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway

    Jorgen Bramness

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  1. Philipp Lobmaier
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  2. Michael Gossop
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Correspondence to Philipp Lobmaier.

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Lobmaier, P., Gossop, M., Waal, H. et al. The pharmacological treatment of opioid addiction—a clinical perspective. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 66, 537–545 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00228-010-0793-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00228-010-0793-6

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