Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) combines medication with counseling. And together, MAT saves lives. It can take time to heal, just like a broken bone, but gradually, full recovery happens.

Does MAT work?

Medications, including buprenorphine (Suboxone®), and extended release naltrexone (Vivitrol®), are proven and effective for the treatment of opioid use disorders.

Further, MAT decreases opioid use and opioid-related overdose deaths. After buprenorphine (Suboxone®), became available in Baltimore, heroin overdose deaths decreased by 37%. MAT also increases social functioning and retention in treatment. Patients treated with medication are more likely to remain in therapy compared to patients receiving treatment that do not include medication.

Click here for research articles.

How Long Will it Take?

MAT can take several months or longer in some cases. Just as body tissues require prolonged periods to heal after injury and may require external supports like a cast and crutches or a wheelchair for a broken leg, brain circuits that have been altered by prolonged drug use and addiction take time to recover and benefit from external supports in the form of medication. But also just like body tissues, the brain can and does recover with the proper medication and treatment regimen, and we are here to make that recovery a reality for our patients.

Will I ever be off of Meds?

At Levara, our ultimate aim is to wean patients off of their maintenance medication, but as a responsible treatment provider, we always make this decision jointly with the patient, and tapering the medication is done gradually to ensure full recovery.

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