Pharmacy Question for the Week of March 2, 2020

Question:

What is the MAT treatment?

Answer:

According to the white paper “Healthcare Strategies to Reduce the Harm of Opioids” prepared by the Healthcare Fraud Prevention Partnership: “MAT combines one of three Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved medications (methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone) with behavioral therapy for preventing relapse and for maintenance treatment of OUD. Research demonstrates that MAT is a cost-effective method that is more effective at retaining patients in treatment and reducing opioid misuse than approaches such as tapering, detoxification, or abstinence, which are all associated with higher rates of relapse.”