Two new Substance Use Disorder Treatment Guidelines have just been released and posted on by the AIDS Institute Clinical Guidelines Program. The Clinical Guidelines Program is a joint project between the New York State Department of Health AIDS Institute and Johns Hopkins University.
In the case of the Substance Use Disorder Treatment Guidelines, experts in treating SUD from around New York State were brought together to create comprehensive guidelines. The two sections which have been posted, Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder and Harm Reduction Approach to Treatment of All Substance Use Disorders were prioritized due to the gravity of the current opioid and opioid overdose epidemics. The Guidelines are intended for primary care providers, and other non-addiction medicine specialists, to use at the time of a patient’s visit for quick, yet comprehensive answers. They are divided into sections which can easily be read individually. The Guidelines are peer reviewed and extensively referenced. The remaining sections of the Substance Use Disorder Treatment Guidelines are still in review and likely will be forthcoming in early 2020.
Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder Guideline Goals
- Increase the number of clinicians in outpatient settings offering evidence-based treatment to individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD).
- Increase the number of New York State (NYS) residents with OUD who are engaged in treatment.
- Reduce the number of OUD-related overdoses and deaths in NYS.
- Promote a harm reduction approach to treatment of all substance use disorders, which involves practical strategies and ideas aimed at reducing the negative consequences associated with opioid use.
