Scientific studies show that pharmacological treatments for opioid use disorders decrease drug use and increase the retention of victims in treatment programs. It also reduces criminal activities and infectious disease transmission.

People addicted to heroin first undergo withdrawal symptoms ranging from mild to severe depending on how long they have been using the drug. During the detox stage, individuals develop withdrawal symptoms, including mild ones like diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting, and more life-threatening ones like seizures. Medications are helpful during this stage to ease the drug cravings or other symptoms that may prompt a victim to relapse.

Medications used to treat opioid use disorders act the same as an addictive drug but are safer and less likely to bring out harmful behaviors that characterize substance use disorders. The three types of medication include:

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• Agonists; activate opioid receptors.

• Partial agonists; activate opioid receptors yet produce a smaller response.

• Antagonists; block the receptors and interfere with the opioid's rewarding effects

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Medication-assisted treatment involves using pharmacological therapies tailored to meet a specific patient's needs. They include:

• Methadone (Methadone® or Adolophine®); is an opioid agonist and acts slowly. Methadone is effective for patients who do not respond well to other forms of heroin treatment. Medical professionals recommend taking this slow-acting agonist orally to gradually reach the brain, dampening " high " feelings while eliminating withdrawal symptoms. However, methadone is highly addictive; hence, monthly, you should take it under careful monitoring of a medical examiner to prevent overdose. Medical professionals dispense methadone under approved outpatient programs.

• Buprenorphine (Subutex ®); is a partial opioid agonist that relieves drug cravings while eliminating the associated harmful side effects or the "high" feeling of using heroin. On the other hand, you can take Subutex ® medication either sublingually or orally. Medical examiners use Subutex ® to help prevent patients from getting high by injecting the medication. Instead, if you inject Subutex ®, you will experience withdrawal symptoms that you don’t feel when you take the drug orally.

Unlike Methadone, Buprenorphine eliminates the daily trip to the clinic because FDA approves certified physicians to prescribe Subutex ®. This makes its treatment more accessible than methadone. Buprenorphine also has generic versions of suboxone and hence becomes cheaper than methadone.

Naltrexone (Vivitrol®), an injectable opioid antagonist not sedating or addictive, blocks opioid actions and eliminates physical drug dependence. However, it has limited effectiveness since most patients find it challenging to comply with its treatment. FDA approved Naltrexone (Vivitrol®) in 2010 as a preventive drug for opioid dependence or relapse following opioid detox. Naltrexone (Vivitrol®) is administered monthly and improves compliance since it eliminates the need for a daily dosage.