Community Care Releases Best Practice Guidelines for the Use of Buprenorphine
PITTSBURGH, Feb. 4, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Community Care Behavioral Health Organization today released guidelines for treatment and recovery practices involving the use of buprenorphine, an opioid used to treat opioid addiction.
The guidelines -- titled Supporting Recovery from Opioid Addiction: Best Practice Guidelines for Buprenorphine and Suboxone® -- are designed to aid clinicians and provider agencies. Included among the best practices are 11 "Guiding Principles for Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) for Opioid Addiction" that provide clear ideas for MAT services and recovery.
"These best practices will be a great resource for physicians and other clinicians," said James M. Schuster, MD, MBA, Chief Medical Officer for Community Care. "Community Care hopes the best practices will promote accurate prescribing and improve the quality of treatment for persons in recovery."
In 2011, the Institute for Research, Education, and Training in Addictions (IRETA) prepared an expert panel report for Community Care regarding the use of buprenorphine. The newly released guidelines provide enhanced and current information for evidence-based treatment for Recovery-Oriented Systems of Care (ROSC). The manual incorporates information from the IRETA report, as well as current research and stakeholder input, including insights from the Buprenorphine Workgroup of the Behavioral Health Alliance of Rural Pennsylvania (BHARP).
The best practices detail the following:
- Screening, assessing, provision, and discontinuation of buprenorphine and Suboxone®.
- Screening, assessing, and concurrent provision of the appropriate psychosocial treatment utilizing best practice approaches.
- Screening, assessing, and concurrent addressing of co-occurring mental health issues.
- Provision of a menu of community-based recovery support and wellness services, and activities as necessary to enhance and support recovery.
Supporting Recovery from Opioid Addiction: Best Practice Guidelines for Buprenorphine and Suboxone® is available at Community Care's website: www.ccbh.com.
About Community Care
Community Care, a nonprofit, tax-exempt recovery-focused behavioral health managed care organization headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, manages mental health and substance use disorder services for approximately 700,000 Medical Assistance recipients in Pennsylvania. Community Care also serves as the behavioral health organization for the Hudson River Region of New York State. Part of UPMC, Community Care was incorporated in 1996 with a mission to improve the health and well-being of the community through the delivery of effective and accessible behavioral health services.
SOURCE Community Care Behavioral Health
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