As a consequence, tobacco use treatment is offered almost only at narcology facilities, or substance abuse clinics, where addiction psychiatrists use hypnosis, acupuncture and cognitive behavioral therapies to treat nicotine dependence.
Regulatory hurdles prevent many physicians from being able to prescribe buprenorphine, a medicine shown to effectively treat opioid dependence.
Topamax, an antiseizure drug not yet available as a generic, has also been used to treat alcohol dependence, among other conditions.
"It's the only thing that allows me to live a normal life," Ms. Lopez said of the concoction, which contains methadone, a drug used to treat opiate dependence.
The idea of using opioid substitutes to treat opioid dependence is based on the premise that long-term drug use profoundly alters the brain, that the craving, seeking and taking of opioids is a "bio-behavioral" compulsion.
Effective medications to treat cocaine dependence have not been identified.
Establishing effective pharmacotherapies to treat meth dependence is needed to help solve this health problem.
Designing and implementing cue exposure procedures to treat nicotine dependence remains a challenge.
