Primary Care Recognition and Treatment of Methamphetamine Use Disorder

Abstract

Methamphetamine addiction remains one of the most common substance use disorders encountered by physicians and is often unrecognized in the current opioid epidemic. Methamphetamine remains widely available in the United States despite laws designed to limit illicit production. Physical signs of methamphetamine abuse are not always recognized in the primary care setting. The utilization of the Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST) has helped in the identification of drug abusers in this setting. The mainstay of treatment remains cognitive behavioral therapy. Though various medications have been tried, none have gained FDA approval because of the lack of proven efficacy. The most promising treatment modality on the horizon appears to be immunotherapy. Treatment, while not necessarily efficacious in the long term, is widely available today.