Ch. 5: Summary

In this Module 13 online coursebook, you learned basic principles about prescription and over-the-counter drug misuse, pharmacotherapy as an intervention approach, and the early treatment phase called detox or stabilization. We explored some of the most commonly misused OTC substances and looked into recommendations for crafting a response to the problem of prescription drug abuse. Then we were introduced to the principles of pharmacotherapy and medication assisted treatment (MAT), learning about some of the specific medications used for this purpose. The next topic we explored was detox and stabilization as part of a continuum of care for treating individuals who experience a substance use disorder, and how medication might be a part of the various phases of the stabilization process. At this point, we also looked at some of the characteristics of withdrawal from four types of substances: cocaine, alcohol, heroin, and marijuana. We looked at a brief news article, as well, that made real what might happen if a person abruptly stops taking certain substances to which the body has developed an addiction. Finally, we briefly started looking back over our entire course and considered how the biopsychosocial aspects of substance misuse and addiction might relate to developing policy responses. This will carry us into some of our learning activities for the next and final module in our course, Module 14.

You are now ready to review some of the key terms related to substance use disorders introduced in this book.