Response to the Opioid Epidemic: Current Treatment Models in the United States

Opioid use disorder (OUD) is a complex condition requiring a multifaceted treatment approach. As such, a variety of different models, both pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic, have been proposed and ultimately implemented as part of standard clinical practice over the past several decades, each providing a specific focus and expected therapeutic outcome. This chapter will take a closer look at such clinical approaches in their respective historical contexts, highlighting both their similarities and differences, while emphasizing the ongoing evolution of clinical approaches to an alarming and ever-changing public health crisis.