TIP 28 is a publication of the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, Substance abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. TIP 28 is available in print from by calling NCADI at 1-800-729-6686. A free copy will be mailed within a few days.  Ask for DHHS Publication No. (SMA) 98-3206.

TIP 28 is also available for viewing or for download via the Internet web site:
http://www.health.org/govpubs/BKD268/

A newer, more streamlined version of TIP 28 called the Physician's Guide is also now available.  Ask for DHHS Publication No. (SMA) 00-3397.  Because this new version of TIP 28 is not yet available from the SAMHSA web site, we have reprinted page 17 at the above link, in case you'd like to print it out to take along with you when you see your Doctor.

The following description of TIP 28 is an excerpt entitled "What is a TIP?"

"This TIP, Naltrexone and Alcoholism Treatment, presents current knowledge about the use of Naltrexone, an opioid antagonist medication first synthesized in the 1960s and subsequently developed by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). This medicine was initially developed to treat opiate addiction. Subsequently, research sponsored by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, which research is still ongoing, found that Naltrexone can help prevent relapse to alcohol use disorder when combined with traditional treatment modalities. 

"Naltrexone, when combined with appropriate psychosocial interventions, relieves the craving for alcohol (and opiates) and decreases the relapse rate to heavy use. Naltrexone has been proven safe for most adults except pregnant or nursing women, the very obese (at doses higher than herein recommended for daily use), and probably those with acute hepatitis; women of child-bearing potential must be tested monthly for pregnancy.

This TIP describes the medication itself, its mode of action, possible common adverse effects, and interactions with other medications. A separate chapter on the clinical use of Naltrexone presents guidelines for selecting patients who may benefit from Naltrexone and for starting and maintaining these patients on Naltrexone. Issues for program managers and administrators, including staff education and procedures for getting new drugs on health care system formularies, are presented in appendixes."

A wealth of additional information on Naltrexone can be found on the Internet at a variety of locations, but this one is a good place to start:

www.recovery2000.com

Additionally, another excellent resource for information on recovery in general (plus information on many medications including Naltrexone) is the new book "Recovery Options" by Joseph Volpicelli, M.D., Ph.D, and Maia Szalavitz.  The book should be available at your local bookstore or library, or you can order it online now from Amazon.com.

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This page last updated on 10-18-2002.