This article reviews the main pharmacotherapies that are currently being used to treat opioid addiction. Treatments include
detoxification using tapered methadone, buprenorphine, adrenergic agonists such as clonidine and lofexidine, and forms of
rapid detoxification. In opioid maintenance treatment (OMT), methadone is most widely used. OMT with buprenorphine, buprenorphine-naloxone
combination, or other opioid agonists is also discussed. The use of the opioid antagonists naloxone (for the treatment of
intoxication and overdose) and oral and sustained-release formulations of naltrexone (for relapse prevention) is also considered.
Although recent advances in the neurobiology of addictions may lead to the development of new pharmacotherapies for the treatment
of addictive disorders, a m…