Medication therapy management and medication-assisted treatment are two different treatment strategies for people struggling with substance use disorder. Both programs aim to improve client comfort and recovery maintenance. However, MTM focuses on treating physical and mental health conditions, while MAT addresses drug or alcohol addiction by using medications in combination with behavioral therapies. Learn more about MAT vs. medication therapy management in Tacoma, Washington, to see which of these programs may be best for you.

Whether you are looking for MAT or MTM, Bayview Recovery has the right mental health and addiction treatment program for you in Tacoma, Washington. We employ evidence-based treatment strategies to ensure you receive the safest, most effective treatment for substance use disorder and mental health conditions. Reach out to us today at 855.478.3650 to learn more about medication therapy management vs. MAT and how we can incorporate these into your treatment plan.

What Is Medication Therapy Management?

Medication therapy management is a service provided to clients by pharmacists that aims to improve the quality of care. The goal of medication therapy management is to help clients achieve their health goals through the safe and effective use of medications.

As part of an addiction treatment program, pharmacists work together with the treatment facility’s staff to closely monitor each client’s medications. A medication therapy management program helps keep clients on track for recovery. It does this by ensuring they receive the appropriate medication regimen to minimize withdrawal discomfort. At the same time, it helps keep mental and physical health symptoms under control.

What Is Medication-Assisted Treatment?

Medication-assisted treatment is a program designed primarily to address opioid use disorder. There are three main components to a MAT program:

• Medication
• Therapy
• Support

The goal of MAT is to provide clients with a well-rounded program that helps address addiction and co-occurring mental health conditions. Each of the above program components works together to help keep withdrawal symptoms and cravings under control, reduce stress, and teach clients how to avoid or eliminate triggers.

Medication Therapy Management vs. MAT

It can be easy to confuse medication therapy management with medication-assisted treatment. Both of these treatment programs involve using specific medications to help keep you feeling comfortable throughout addiction treatment. There are a few differences between medication therapy management vs. MAT:

• Medication therapy management is a program that helps to improve overall wellness. MAT, on the other hand, is designed to combat drug or alcohol addiction through behavioral changes.
• Medication therapy management emphasizes finding the right combination of medications for a patient’s mental and physical health. Medication-assisted treatment is a comprehensive addiction treatment program that includes medication, therapy, and support.
• Medication therapy management doesn’t include behavioral therapies like MAT. Instead, the focus is solely on finding the appropriate combination of medications and culling out any unnecessary prescriptions. MTM is more of a complementary program rather than a comprehensive addiction treatment program like MAT.

Medication therapy management and medication-assisted treatment both improve addiction treatment program retention rates. Both of these programs provide support for clients to help them stay focused on complying with their treatment team’s recommendations.

Bayview Recovery: MTM and MAT to Support Your Recovery

Bayview Recovery is dedicated to providing a wide range of mental health and addiction treatment services to ensure we have the right program to meet your needs. We offer MTM to help improve your overall health through better medication adherence and improved communication with your treatment team. We also provide MAT to help you overcome substance use disorders with a combination of behavioral therapies and medications to reduce withdrawal symptoms and cravings.

Call us today at 855.478.3650 to schedule an intake assessment so we can create an individualized treatment program to help you break free from substance use disorder and learn how to manage the symptoms of mental health conditions.