LAUSR

IN 2015, ONE in 10 Americans (27 million) ages 12 or older used an illicit drug in the past month, and opioid pain relievers were the second most commonly used drug (3.8 million). Current trends in opiate morbidity and mortality include increased use of heroin and illicit synthetic fentanyl. More than 2 million people with a substance use disorder that included pain relievers (opioids) sought treatment in 2015. Treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD) may include the use of medications such as methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone. The use of these substances to treat OUD is referred to as medication-assisted treatment (MAT). In 2011, about 300,000 people received methadone in opioid treatment programs and more than 32,000 individuals were treated with buprenorphine. Because of recent legislation, nurse practitioners and physician assistants are able to prescribe buprenorphine as part of MAT, so the number of individuals receiving buprenorphine is expected to grow. Naltrexone is another emerging treatment option for OUD that may be effective for other types of addiction such as alcohol use disorder.