Integrating Medications for Opioid Use Disorder into a 12-step Treatment Program

Traditional 12-step, abstinence based substance use disorder treatment programs have generally rejected the use of medication assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder (OUD). The Recovery Research Institute provides a plain-language summary of research that looked at whether it was possible to incorporate MAT into the treatment services offered by a leading 12-step oriented treatment facility. The study found that MAT and 12-step oriented treatment are not mutually exclusive and that medications for OUD can be successfully offered within a 12-step focused treatment program.

Funding Source: Recovery Research Institute – “This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.”