This 2020 focused update is intended to inform and empower clinicians, health system administrators, criminal justice system administrators, and policymakers who are interested in implementing evidence-based practices to improve outcomes for individuals with OUD.

The National Practice Guideline is intended to inform and empower clinicians, health system administrators, criminal justice system administrators, and policymakers who are interested in implementing evidence-based practices to improve outcomes for individuals with OUD. This is especially critical in the context of the ongoing COVID-19 emergency, which threatens to curtail patient access to evidence-based treatment. The document is an update to the previous NPG released in 2015 and includes major revisions to 35 existing recommendations, along with the addition of 13 new recommendations.

The focused update was developed over the course of 14 months with consensus from an independent committee of experts and the use of a rigorous RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method (RAM) facilitated by researchers from the Research Triangle Institute (RTI).

Executive Summary - The Journal of Addiction Medicine features an executive summary on the National Practice Guideline that describes the rationale and process for creating this guideline and summarizes the recommendations.

Opioid Addiction Treatment: A Pocket Guide for Patients, Families, and Friends - This patient guide includes information on assessment, treatment overview (including treatment plans, patient participation, and counseling), and all the medications available to treat opioid use and overdose. It also provides links to find a provider and support groups for patients and families. This guide is a useful tool for clinicians to provide to their patients and their families, along with a resource for pharmacies and patient groups looking to inform people about their options to treat the challenging disease of addiction involving opioid use.