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RTI Supports Focused Update to ASAM National Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder

The updated guideline highlights the latest evidence-based approaches for clinicians to treat OUD and addresses all currently FDA-approved medications available to treat OUD and opioid withdrawal

 

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. — The American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM), in collaboration with an independent committee of experts as well as experts from RTI International, a nonprofit research institute, recently published a Focused Update to its National Practice Guideline (NPG) for the Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder (OUD).

 

The update includes 35 major revisions to the 2015 NPG and 13 new recommendations. It aims to inform and empower clinicians, health system administrators, criminal justice system administrators, and policymakers who are interested in implementing evidence-based practices to improve outcomes for individuals with OUD.

The RTI team, led by Karen Crotty, PhD, MPH, Program Director and Senior Research Scientist, worked with ASAM and the independent committee of experts over 14 months to facilitate a RAND/RAM process combining scientific evidence and clinical knowledge to determine the appropriateness of clinical assessments and treatments leading ultimately to the development of the new and revised recommendations.  

The updated guideline includes an executive summary and is designed to improve the quality and consistency of care and reduce barriers to access to care for all Americans living with OUD. Special populations covered by the guideline include pregnant women, individuals with pain, adolescents, individuals with co-occurring psychiatric disorders, and Individuals in the criminal justice system.

The guideline includes significant shifts in a number of recommended clinical practices from the 2015 publication including several new recommendations related to OUD within the criminal justice system.

“Release of these guidelines is important in the midst of the COVID-19 emergency,” said Dr. Crotty. “individuals taking medications for OUD may be particularly vulnerable to a disease that affects the respiratory system, so getting these new and updated recommendations into the hands of healthcare providers and policymakers is critical”

RTI experts Mark Edlund, M.D., PhD, and Meera Viswanathan, PhD, also supported the development of the new guideline.

Learn more about the focused update and RTI’s opioid research and work on treatment of OUD.

Highlights
  • RTI recently contributed to an update of the National Practice Guideline (NPG) for the Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder (OUD).
  • The updated guideline is designed to improve the quality and consistency of care and reduce barriers to access to care.
Meet the Experts
Karen Crotty Senior Director, Center for Public Health Methods
Meera Viswanathan Fellow, Health Policy and Director, RTI-UNC Evidence-based Practice Center
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