Workit Health's Tele-MAT Digital Addiction Treatment Program Expands to Offer Medication for Alcohol Use Disorder

ANN ARBOR, Mich., Jan. 30, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Today, Workit Health announced an expansion of its digital addiction care program to include medication for those ready to moderate or quit drinking. Workit Health members ready to reduce heavy drinking and cravings for alcohol in California, Michigan, and New Jersey can now meet with licensed clinicians via telemedicine and receive the FDA-approved medication naltrexone. The newly launched program helps members reach self-set recovery goals through online recovery groups, messaging with a care team, video visits with their dedicated clinician, and optional 1:1 online therapy.

The expansion to treat alcohol use disorder follows Workit Health's successful opioid use disorder program, which began in Michigan in 2017 as a direct response to the opioid epidemic, and has since expanded to California and New Jersey. The digital program for opioid use disorder utilizes buprenorphine and includes online therapy via Workit Health's web and phone apps after a single in-person appointment. Those ready to moderate or quit drinking will now be able to sign up and schedule their first appointment online, and continue all care via Workit Health's web and phone apps from the privacy of their home.

"Although 15 million people in the U.S. struggle with alcohol use disorder, only 7% of those receive any sort of treatment. And despite being FDA-approved for alcohol dependence, naltrexone is not always available in traditional treatment programs," said Lisa McLaughlin, Workit Health's Co-CEO. "As people in recovery from alcohol use disorder ourselves, Robin and I are committed to expanding access to Workit Health's discreet, convenient, and affordable digital care options that improve outcomes for individuals, health plans, and employers."

"Despite the current focus on opioids, alcohol use disorder is the third leading preventable cause of death in the United States. Our success in treating opioid use disorder with medication via telehealth informs our decision to offer naltrexone for those ready to make a change to their relationship with alcohol," Robin McIntosh, Workit Health's Co-CEO, said. "We found that 84% of our members receiving medication for opioid use disorder were abstinent after 12 months – we're looking forward to bringing these outcomes to the 15 million Americans struggling with alcohol."

Naltrexone is clinically-proven to reduce heavy drinking days and comes in an oral tablet or monthly injection. Workit Health offers therapeutic courses and online recovery groups designed to help members reach their self-set recovery goals. The program includes two treatment types for naltrexone: The Sinclair Method, in which members take naltrexone before drinking to reduce the habit-forming reward effects of alcohol, or as a daily medication or monthly injection to reduce cravings for those who have quit drinking entirely. Clinical research illustrates that naltrexone treatment reduces relapses, the frequency and quantity of alcohol consumption for those who still drink, and alcohol cravings.

About Workit Health: Workit Health is a Joint Commission-accredited B-Corporation offering online, on-demand evidence-based addiction treatment including telemedicine medication for opioid and alcohol use disorders. We partner with healthcare organizations to deliver an innovative digital health solution that blends the best of human-centered design, technology, and science. Through our mobile and web apps, members meet with clinicians and counselors, join recovery groups, and complete self-set recovery goals. Our interactive curriculum of online courses keep members on track in the comfort of home. We offer 24/7 recovery that fits into daily life, designed by experts. For more information, visit http://www.workithealth.com.

SOURCE Workit Health