This research update summarizes the results of the landmark COMBINE study which evaluated the effectiveness of stand-alone and combined pharmacological and behavioral interventions for treating alcohol use disorder.

The post-test for this issue is available for one year after the publication date to subscribers only. By successfully completing the test you will be awarded a certificate for 2 CME credits.

After reading these articles, you should be able to…

Psychosocial interventions for substance use disorders include drug counseling, medical management, cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, contingency management, the community reinforcement approach, and twelve-step facilitation

We have five main medications to offer patients with alcohol use disorder: acamprosate, disulfiram, gabapentin, naltrexone (PO or IM), and topiramate. The combination of naltrexone and gabapentin may work better than either of these two medications alone.

The newer biomarkers of alcohol use include carbohydrate-deficient transferrin; ethyl glucuronide and ethyl sulfate; and phosphatidylethanol.

N-acetylcysteine (NAC), an over-the counter supplement related to the amino acid cysteine, has been shown to have some efficacy in adolescents with cannabis use disorder (CUD). This current study explores whether NAC can be effective for CUD in adult patients as well.

The post-test for this issue is available for one year after the publication date to subscribers only. By successfully completing the test you will be awarded a certificate for 1 CME credit.

After reading these articles, you should be able to…

Addiction is stigmatized, resulting in historically strict confidentiality rules. But how do we interpret HIPAA and other regulations in 2019 addiction practice? Do we need a ROI every time we communicate with other clinicians/institutions, which seems cumbersome and counterproductive? In this article we cover what you need to know about confidentiality in addiction treatment.