Articles

Since alcohol cravings are a major trigger for relapse, leading patients out of alcohol treatment prior to completion, Tarzana Treatment Centers offers Vivitrol to patients as a part of their treatment. It is an effort to not only keep alcohol dependent patients in treatment, but also to improve the effectiveness of that treatment.

Vivitrol is Naltrexone in the form of a monthly injection which blocks the euphoria associated with alcohol use. How many injections a person receives varies depending upon how long cravings continue.

Vivitrol was approved by the FDA for the treatment of alcohol dependence in April, 2006. While there is no need for further clinical trials, Tarzana Treatment Centers conducts studies with other entities to help standardize treatment modalities. As seen below, Vivitrol is helping patients succeed in alcohol treatment so our goal is to make it available to any patient that is eligible.

On September 11, 2008, Tarzana Treatment Centers began participation in the Los Angeles County Alcohol and Drug Program Administration’s (ADPA) Vivitrol Demonstration Project. The ADPA has concluded that “The medication seemed to effectively support clients to relieve their cravings for alcohol, thereby allowing them to focus on their recovery efforts and averting premature departure from their treatment programs.”

In a six month period Tarzana Treatment Centers administered the first injection to 32 patients. 23 of them began treatment in alcohol detox and, on average, had been in treatment 1 or 2 times previously. Out of the 23 a total of 21 completed detox with 17 transferring to residential treatment.

Overall, 23 of the 32 remained in residential alcohol treatment or have successfully completed during the 6 months. One patient completed outpatient alcohol treatment. Only 4 patients left treatment prior to completion against medical advice.

Based on the success of the demonstration project, ADPA stated that it is “…considering ways to support provider purchases and other costs related to Vivitrol use on a continuing basis and to expand its use Countywide.”

The ADPA research article and data can be found at:
http://www.lapublichealth.org/adpa/bulletins/ADPABulletin2.pdf

For more information on Vivitrol, contact us via email at vivitrol@tarzanatc.org.

Tarzana Treatment Centers in Los Angeles makes a daily effort to find treatment news articles that we can share with our readers in the alcohol and drug treatment community. The external content was found among other articles of equal informational and educational quality.