title: The pharmacological treatment of alcohol dependence: needs and possibilities.
abstract: Standard treatment for alcohol abuse may include pharmacotherapy to alleviate withdrawal symptoms followed by psychotherapy in inpatient and/or outpatient settings. Treatment goals include abstinence and reduced alcohol consumption. Standard treatment for alcoholism has a high rate of success in Germany; however, for various reasons, only a small percentage of alcoholic patients are admitted to alcoholism treatment programmes. A new drug, acamprosate, could benefit many more alcoholic patients. Several studies indicate that acamprosate reduces the craving for alcohol and enhances abstinence. Acamprosate's effect is dose-dependent and it has a few minor side-effects. In addition, the availability of acamprosate may enable family practitioners to play an increasingly important role in the treatment of alcoholic patients, thus allowing more patients to receive treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Addiction Research Centre, University of Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mann
mesh_terms: D000077443:Acamprosate; D000427:Alcohol Deterrents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D006801:Humans; D012008:Recurrence; D013654:Taurine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000427:Alcohol Deterrents; D013654:Taurine; D000077443:Acamprosate