Alkermes : Statement on National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Report on Medications for Opioid Use Disorder

Alkermes Statement on National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Report on Medications for Opioid Use Disorder

National Academy of Sciences (NAS) Calls for Broader Access to All

Evidence-Based Medications to Address the Opioid Epidemic

Independent Review Reinforces Evidence Supporting the Safety and Efficacy of all Three FDA-Approved Options and Underscores the Need to Broaden Access

A report published yesterday by the NAS examining existing evidence for medications to treat opioid use disorder (OUD) reinforced that all three FDA-approved medications are safe and effective, but they remain grossly underutilized. Despite federal guidelines mandating patient access to all evidence-based treatments, only six percent of treatment facilities in the U.S. offer all three options. The report further concludes that patients in all treatment settings deserve access to the same, evidence-based standard of care.

To meaningfully advance our nation's response to this epidemic, we need to modernize our treatment system to provide patient-centered, data-driven care and equal access to all treatments. Real progress in addressing the opioid epidemic will require action and willingness to implement patient-centered models of care in which people with OUD have the opportunity to partner with their providers to align on treatment goals and determine the right treatment plan, customized to their individual clinical needs. Quality care is a fundamental human right. We all have a collective imperative to help transform the treatment system, and Alkermes looks forward to collaborating with the addiction community to ensure that patients get access to the care that they deserve.