Clinical Management of Drug Use Disorders

Despite mammoth efforts toward the treatment and prevention of substance use disorders in the United States over the past 30 years, they remain a significant public health concern and an all-too-common comorbidity among people with other forms of mental illness. Continued research into genetics, pharmacotherapies, psychotherapies, and epidemiology for substance use disorders results in huge amounts of new information for clinicians to assimilate each year. This review summarizes current diagnostic and categorical standards in substance use disorders, epidemiology, genetic and physiologic factors in addiction for each class, clinically relevant laboratory testing, evidence-based treatments, and prognostic considerations in substance use disorders. Specifically, sections cover cannabinoids, hallucinogens, opioids, sedatives, and stimulants. This review contains 3 figures, 6 tables and 60 references Key words: benzodiazepines, cannabis, drug dependence, hallucinogens, MDMA, substance abuse, substance dependence, synthetic cannabinoids