Outpatient Treatment of Cocaine Addiction: Suggestions to Increase Its Effectiveness

Abstract

Faced with the difficult challenge of making effective treatment more available to larger numbers of addicts/users at lower cost, providers and payers of addiction/drug user treatment in the U.S. are looking for cost-effective models of outpatient care as alternatives to expensive residential treatment. This article discusses the clinical appropriateness of outpatient treatment and how to make it more efficacious for cocaine and crack addicts/users. [Translations are provided in the International Abstracts section of this issue.]

Key Words:

• Addiction
• Cocaine
• Crack
• Outpatient treatment
• Substance abuse