Opioid Abuse Disorder (OAD)

Opioid Use Disorder (OAD) has changed in the last ten years. Heroin, methamphetamine, and street drugs now contain the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl and compounds like fentanyl. This contamination of illegal drugs with highly potent opioids has driven increases in overdose deaths and requires additional responses by the healthcare and recovery communities, both to provide blockade that will prevent overdose, and for Medication Assisted Therapy to address cravings and help promote abstinence in opioid use disorder patients.

Opioid addiction is recognized as a major public health crisis that is increasing at an alarming rate. 2.4 million Americans have been diagnosed with opioid dependence, and overdoses have increased dramatically. There were over 100,000 drug overdose deaths in the United States during 12-month period ending in April 2021, an increase of 28.5% from the same period the year before (CDC). The DHHS estimates that abuse of opioid analgesics results in an economic burden of more than $78 billion/yr.