Family physicians working to stem the opioid epidemic have an updated vital resource now that Treating Opioid Use Disorder as a Chronic Condition: A Practice Manual for Family Physicians has been released in a new edition that reflects best practices as of 2025.
The manual, first published in 2021 and revised this month, follows a milestone in the decades-long crisis: a 2023 decrease in opioid overdose deaths across all populations — the first such decline in more than 20 years.
Still, some 8.9 million Americans 12 years or older misused opioids that year, and only about 18% of the 5.7 million of these people with an opioid use disorder (OUD) received medication-assisted treatment (MAT). Family physicians and their care teams, write the manual’s authors, help fill “a significant gap for individuals in need of treatment.”
“Family physicians and other primary care clinicians are in an ideal position to integrate early substance use disorder prevention and treatment,” the manual says. “These include screening, brief intervention and referral to treatment, called SBIRT, for OUDs and providing medication for OUD (MOUD). By doing so, family physicians and other clinicians play a critical role in preventing and treating OUDs.”
Treating Opioid Use Disorder as a Chronic Condition outlines how family physician physicians and their care teams can integrate and standardize evidence-based treatments and opioid SBIRT into their practice. The manual’s sections cover:
- OUD screening
- Diagnostic criteria and assessment
- Treatment options (including medication comparisons, behavioral health, and how to treat pregnant patients)
- Structuring practice workflows
- Updated payment and coding tables.
The refreshed list of references gathers dozens of supporting reports, briefs, and statements with more information on treatment, policy, legalities, and other topics. The manual’s other updates include the latest on MAT waiver training and how to reduce stigma and bias.
Additional Resources
The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) offers members several additional resources related to OUD including:
- AAFP policies on substance use disorders
- American Family Physician by Topic collection
- Additional guidance on chronic pain management and opioid misuse.