Philadelphia Medicine Winter-Spring 2021 - 22

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Whole-patient Approach
is Desired Strategy
By Andy Andrews, Editor

F

or drug addiction, as in many things
in life, there are no simple solutions.

" Treatment plans need to be made based
on the patient's preferences, which will take
into account their current situation and
cultural and/or religious beliefs, " Bass said.

Treatment specialists have a good
handle on chemical treatments and other
strategies. They understand the chemical basis
of substance use disorder. They understand
proven clinical " solutions. "

There are strategies that certainly don't
work, according to Bass.

But each abuse case is special when it
comes to finding the right treatments.
Medication-assisted treatment, or MAT,
can successfully treat substance use disorders as
well as sustain recovery and prevent overdose,
according to the Substance Abuse and Mental
Health Services Administration (https://www.
samhsa.gov/medication-assisted-treatment).
But treatment requires more than that.
It requires an understanding of the abuser's
world, what they are about, what works for
them and what doesn't. Treatment is unique
to each patient.

Trust the system

" Creating a relationship with a patient
who uses drugs - that allows them to trust
the medical system and empowers them
to engage in their health care - will help
MAT is the use of medications, in to improve these patients' outcomes, " said
combination with counseling and behavioral Dr. Maya Bass, assistant professor in family,
therapies, to provide a " whole-patient " community and preventive medicine at the
approach to the treatment of substance use Drexel University College of Medicine.
disorders. MAT programs are clinically driven
Treatment strategies have to be specific to
and tailored to meet each patient's needs.
the patient, so it's important for the clinician
But what works and what doesn't? Those and treatment specialist to get the whole
are left to the professionals experienced in picture of a patient's health and behavior.
these methodologies.

" Telling a patient to stop using or they
will die, discharging them when they have
a recurrence of use or requiring patients to
adhere to a rigid schedule of appointments
does not work, " she said. " These things can
also cut patients off from treatment at a
time when they are most vulnerable to a
fatal overdose. Each visit needs to be seen
as an opportunity to do something to help
that person live to the next appointment. "

Sustain recovery
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Services Administration notes that research
shows that a combination of medication and
therapy can successfully treat these disorders,
and for some people struggling with addiction,
MAT can help sustain recovery. MAT is also
used to prevent or reduce opioid overdose.
It's easy to sum up the best way for an
addict to recover is abstinence, which is easier
said than done.

MAT is the use of medications, in combination with counseling and behavioral therapies,
to provide a " whole-patient " approach to the treatment of substance use disorders.
22 Philadelphia Medicine : Winter-Spring 2021
https://philamedsoc.org/ https://www http://www.samhsa.gov/medication-assisted-treatment
Philadelphia Medicine Winter-Spring 2021

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