Guidelines for Addressing Benzodiazepine Use in Opioid Treatment Programs (OTPs)
Guidelines for Addressing Benzodiazepine Use in Opioid Treatment Programs (OTPs)
AATOD is releasing newly developed Benzodiazepine Guidelines for OTPs. They have been extensively vetted among treatment providers, state officials, physicians and other interested parties. AATODs' Medications Committeee (Dr. George Stavros, MD (Chair), Janice Kauffman, RN, MPH, Brian McCarroll, MS, DO, Shirley Linzy, DNP, MS, and Ken Stoller, MD) developed these guidelines over the course of the past year. I am particularly grateful to Jan Kauffman for organizing the development of these guidelines with the members of the Medications Committee.
The clinical issue of benzodiazepine use and abuse by patients in our treatment programs has been extremely challenging. It is our collective hope that these guidelines will serve as a resource to our membership and the field. The AATOD Board of Directors and I would be interested in receiving your feedback. (AATOD - American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence (AATOD), April 2107)