Study Suggests Benefit of Counseling and Drugs to Treat Alcohol Problems
Cost-Saving of Combined Treatment Methods
Combining behavioral interventions with acamprosate and naltrexone therapy
for alcohol-dependent patients saved an estimated $3,800 per patient in societal
costs compared to providing medical management alone, according to researchers
who evaluated data from the COMBINE study.
The researchers also found that the cost savings from the combined therapies
exceeded the initial cost of treatment within three years. Societal savings
included related healthcare costs and expenses related to arrests and
motor-vehicle crashes.
Researchers from RTI, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, University of
North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of Pennsylvania and Yale University
collaborated on the research, which focused on the COMBINE (Combined
Pharmacotherapies and Behavioral Interventions) study.
For more information and the source: Join Together
Beck KH, et al. The effect of alcohol treatment on social costs of alcohol dependence: Results from the COMBINE study. Medical Care 2010; 48(5): 396-401. DOI: 10.1097/MLR.0b013e3181d68859.
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Center for Drug & Alcohol Programs
MUSC
67 President Street
MSC 861
Charleston, SC
(843) 792-2727
MUSC
67 President Street
MSC 861
Charleston, SC
(843) 792-2727