This Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) is intended to examine the physical and psychosocial sequelae associated with the abuse of opioids in combination with cocaine and offer assessment and treatment planning protocols for staff to use in substance abuse treatment programs.
To the extent possible, the document is based on available research information. However, many of the clinical issues facing providers of treatment to concurrently dependent persons have yet to be fully assessed. Few data exist on treating concurrent cocaine abuse, and even less information exists on treating concurrent abuse of other stimulants. This TIP is a reflection of the treatment modalities that are being used in various treatment centers throughout the Nation and should be viewed as such, rather than as a document that purports to have definitive solutions to what has become an extraordinarily difficult problem. Where clinical research is lacking, the TIP makes recommendations for treatment strategies based on clinical models developed by successful treatment programs. These recommendations should be considered guides, and their use should be tailored to the specific needs of an individual program's patient population.