Avea Solutions Blog

Buprenorphine and Medication-Assisted Treatment

MAT, short for medication-assisted treatment, is a concept that's gained significant traction within the substance abuse treatment landscape in recent years. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration defines MAT as “the use of medications in combination with counseling and behavioral therapies for the treatment of substance use disorders.”[1]  The recent spike in national interest in MAT comes on the heels of a four-fold increase in opioid-related overdose deaths in the United States[2]. While tragic in nature, this epidemic is helping to bring recognition to substance use disorders as a public health concern, prompting policy changes in order to control it. The question now at hand: is MAT the answer to the overdose epidemic? Or for the treatment of substance use disorders in general?