Michael McDonell, an associate professor of community and behavioral health at the WSU Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, is quoted in a recent NBC Health article addressing treatment for cocaine and meth addiction.
According to the article, there is no approved medication to help people addicted to cocaine, methamphetamine, and prescription stimulants get off the drugs. The Food and Drug Administration is now urging drugmakers to develop applicable treatments.
McDonell tells NBC News that research teams throughout the U.S. have been trying to find a medication that works for stimulant drugs for more than 40 years. He notes successes but says nothing has been as successful as methadone and buprenorphine.
“I am not optimistic that we will find a medication for stimulant drugs that is as effective as mediations for opioid use disorder,” McDonell said.
He also discusses the behavioral intervention approach rather than medications. Click the link below to read the full article.