Medication-Assisted Treatment is a method of treating substance use disorders. It combines counseling and medication with behavioral treatment (SAMHSA, 222). The MAT program is based upon clinical research and tailored to each individual patient’s needs. One of the principal applications of MAT is the treatment of opioid dependence and opioid-based painkillers, such as Vicodin (Ingersoll & Rak, 2015). While MAT can be very successful in certain cases, the treatment of 40% of addicts to opioids has failed.
Public Act 99-0480 (Act), made it easier for naloxone to be available in Illinois, September 2015. (IDPH, n.d.). The legislation allows pharmacists and first responders to administer the opioid antagonist Naloxone in accordance with their qualifications. The IDFPR, in partnership with IDPH and IDHS, has created a standard procedure that allows appropriately-trained personnel to obtain, distribute or administer Naloxone. IDFPR regulates financial and professional matters.
Two possibilities make the MAT contentious. Some MATs are more likely to be misused than others because they mirror opioids’ effects. In line with the principle that abstinence must always be first, a person who truly wants to stop using drugs will not seek treatment that includes additional drug use. Physicians often use “fail first”, which means they first try other therapies and then reserve medication-assisted treatment (MAT) as their last option. Both patients and their clinicians can differ about the most suitable medication-assisted therapeutic (MAT). Sommers-(2016). Flanagan asserts that clinical interviewing is a core technique for clinical psychologists. However, there are disagreements on other important matters. There’s currently no agreement on who should be treated with medication-assisted therapies. Every medication comes with its benefits and disadvantages.