Supervised disulfiram in alcoholism.
Despite its well-documented specific effectiveness in controlled trials, the alcohol-sensitizing drug disulfiram (Antabuse) is not widely prescribed in Britain for the management of alcohol abuse and it often arouses hostile and irrational feelings. However, interest in it is reviving. This paper reviews the evidence for its effectiveness, emphasizes the importance of correct dosage and supervised administration and of viewing disulfiram as generally only one component of treatment. Its low toxicity--especially compared with alcohol--is emphasized and the main arguments of its opponents are examined.
D000437:Alcoholism / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004221:Disulfiram / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans
D004221:Disulfiram