MAT in 2026: What Medication-Assisted Treatment Is (and What It Isn't)
Buprenorphine, methadone, naltrexone — and the cultural fight that's kept millions from accessing them.
Body: [Structured as: What MAT is → The three medications compared → Evidence (~50% reduction in all-cause mortality for OUD, per multiple meta-analyses) → Who it’s for → Myths and stigma (including the “just trading one addiction for another” misconception) → How to access it in 2026, including the permanent telehealth rule. Written as a definitive reference.]
Sources Cited
- 01.A
- 02.B
Filed Under
MAT — BuprenorphineStigmaPeer-Reviewed Research
Continue reading
More from this section
Prescribed Into a Corner: The Benzodiazepine Dependence Millions Don't Know They Have
Chronic benzodiazepine dependence affects millions prescribed the drugs appropriately. New February 2026 guidelines recommend 5-10% tapers every 2-4 weeks — far slower than typical clinical practice. But the people most affected are already years into protracted withdrawal syndrome, disbelieved by their doctors, managing their own detox with community guidance.
Treatment & RecoveryGift Cards, Urinalysis, and the Only Proven Tool for Meth: Why Contingency Management Is Finally Getting Its Due
Contingency management for stimulant use disorder is gaining clinical momentum but facing political headwinds. California's program must prove its value by year-end. Here's what the evidence actually shows.
Treatment & RecoveryThe First New Quit-Smoking Drug in Two Decades Is Ten Days from an FDA Decision
The FDA has until June 20 to approve cytisinicline, a plant-derived alkaloid from the laburnum tree with 60 years of European use. Two Phase 3 trials. The first potential new quit-smoking drug since Chantix in 2006.