Medication-Assisted Treatment

As an organization, MARC understands the value of Medication-Assisted Treatment and endorses its use within the framework of comprehensive clinical services to aid a patient in recovery.

Opioid Use Disorder (and addiction as a whole) is a complex, chronic, progressive disease, and medication-assisted treatment is an effective evidence-based approach to deal with an addiction to opioids. Here at Maryland Addiction Recovery Center, we believe that utilizing every available approach and resource in combating addiction and aiding patients into a lifelong recovery is vital in best practices and high-quality patient care.

When looking at the destructive impact the opioid crisis has had on our families and communities throughout the country and the rising rates of overdoses and overdose deaths, we believe that no approach should be ruled out if it allows an individual to stay alive, begin to overcome their addiction and live a happy and productive life.

How we support Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT)

Maryland Addiction Recovery Center offers a detox and/or medication titration protocol. Under the watchful care of one of our psychiatrists, patients can ween off opioid misuse with the use of approved medications when enrolled in one of the MARC treatment programs (extended care community living, partial hospitalization/PHP or intensive outpatient/IOP.) Opioid detox is not offered as a standalone service.

Such protocol is part of any of the Maryland Addiction Recovery Center treatment programs that include a multi-disciplinary treatment approach that integrates MAT into our robust clinical services that include individual, group and family therapy and ongoing coaching and support. Maryland Addiction Recovery Center utilizes evidence-based FDA-approved medication approaches to aid those patients in need of detoxing from opioids in a patient-centered, individualized approach based on each patient’s needs with the oversight of one of our psychiatrists on the medical team.

Our preferred medication options

Of the many FDA-approved Medication-Assisted Treatment options, here at Maryland Addiction Recovery Center, the preferred options by our staff are:

Naltrexone XR (Vivitrol)
Vivitrol, the active ingredient in naltrexone, is effective for detox due to its ability to block the chemical responses that make taking opioids pleasurable. It’s non-addictive, so there is no risk of abuse. The goal of Vivitrol assisted MAT is to help the patient get over the initial hardships of detox and into long term, abstinence-based recovery.

Vivitrol is injected and remains in the patient’s body for about 30 days. The effects are almost immediate.

Buprenorphine/Suboxone
We utilize Suboxone as a medication to aid with a detoxification taper for those patients utilizing our ambulatory detox services in the local community or we continue the use of the medication for patients in the extended care community living program when coming from a residential program when the medical team at that facility indicates that a longer titration period is clinically necessary.

Incorporating medication into a recovery plan

If a patient is coming to MARC from a detox or residential treatment facility, our medical and clinical teams will coordinate with the medical teams at the referring residential facility to understand the patient’s medical needs and implement a long-term treatment plan. Patients will often choose to switch to Vivitrol to support their stay in long-term treatment after the appropriate utilization of Buprenorphine.