Using Science to Battle Stigma in Addressing the Opioid Epidemic: Opioid Agonist Therapy Saves Lives, Sarah E. Wakeman (May 2016)

The article was published in the American Journal of Medicine in May 2016. The article argues that opioid agonist therapy (OAT) is the best therapy for treating opioid drug dependence by referring to the low chance of relapsing. 

OAT also reduces the risk of contracting HIV/Aids or Hepatitis C, as well as reducing the number of overdose deaths. OAT studies show that prolonged treatment have resulted in a high percentage people becoming abstinent form opioids all together. The article also sheds light on the fact that OAT is a highly cost-effective treatment method. However, the main obstacle for implementation of OAT is the stigma attached to opioid agonist therapy and drug use.

Citation: Sarah E. Wakeman, 'Using Science to Battle Stigma in Addressing the Opioid Epidemic: Opioid Agonist Therapy Saves Lives' (2016), American Journal of Medicine Vol 129, No 5, May 2016