MEDICATION-ASSISTED treatment (MAT) -- the use of medication combined with counseling and behavioral therapies -- is one of the major pillars of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) response to the opioid epidemic in the USA.
This type of treatment is an important tool that has the potential to help millions of Americans with an opioid use disorder regain control over their lives, FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb has said in a formal statement.
"In fact, patients receiving MAT cut their risk of death from all causes in half, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
"Addressing the epidemic of opioid addiction is my highest public health priority," he added.
One key element is to withhold opioid medications from patients taking benzodiazepines or CNS depressants, the FDA said in a 'Drug Safety Communication' - fda.gov.
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