On Wednesday, January 18, our support group hosted David Fiellin, MD of Yale in a virtual Pathway Session. Dr. Fiellin is the director of the Yale Program in Addiction Medicine. He’s a strong advocate for treating addiction in primary care settings and reducing the stigma of using medications to treat addiction.
During his talk, David discussed the role medications can play in treating many substance use disorders. He explained the differences in efficacy between the 3 opioid agonist drugs (methadone, Suboxone, and Naltrexone), as compared the efficacy of complete detox. Dr. Fiellin then moved to alcohol use disorder, detailing the big 3: Naltrexone, Acamprosate, and Antabuse.
As David concluded, he briefly addressed medications to treat nicotine addiction, and then engaged in a robust Q&A. Many parents asking about specific challenges with their loved ones using addiction medications.
You can access the David’s slide deck here and a YouTube replay here. Our next Pathway Session addresses Collegiate Recovery Programs on February 15 at 7pm.