In turn, medical approaches to prevention and treatment are lacking. Genetic heritability, personal choice, and environmental factors are comparably involved in the etiology and course of all of these disorders.
Drug dependence produces significant and lasting changes in brain chemistry and function.
Effective medications are available for treating nicotine, alcohol, and opiate dependence but not stimulant or marijuana dependence. Medication adherence and relapse rates are similar across these illnesses. Drug dependence generally has been treated as if it were an acute illness. Review results suggest that long-term care strategies of medication management and continued monitoring produce lasting benefits. Drug dependence should be insured, treated, and evaluated like other chronic illnesses.