A Focused Update of the ASAM National Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder is published in the current issue of the Journal of Addiction Medicine. The focused update included a search of Medline's PubMed database from January 1, 2014 to September 27, 2018, as well as a search of the grey literature (archives of the Clinical Guideline Clearinghouse, and key agency and society websites) for new practice guidelines and relevant systematic reviews addressing the use of medications and psychosocial treatments in the treatment of opioid use disorder, including within special populations. The search identified 11 practice guidelines and 35 systematic reviews that informed the subsequent RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method (RAM) process employed to facilitate the focused update by a National Guideline Committee of addiction experts. New and updated recommendations were included if they were considered: (a) clinically meaningful and applicable to a broad range of clinicians treating addiction involving opioid use; and (b) urgently needed to ensure the Practice Guideline reflects the current state of the science for the existing recommendations, aligns with other relevant practice guidelines, and reflects newly approved medications and formulations.

The American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) Clinical Practice Guideline on Alcohol Withdrawal Management provides guidance on the identification and management of alcohol withdrawal in adults with varying degrees of syndrome severity. The guideline addresses both ambulatory and inpatient care and considers special patient populations. The Guideline was primarily developed following the RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method (RAM), a process to determine the appropriateness of a set of clinical procedures. This process included a review of gray and empirical literature published between January 2012 and October 2017. Nineteen existing guidelines, 112 reviews, and 150 research studies were used to develop draft guideline statements that were assessed by a panel of physicians experienced in withdrawal management and representing a diverse range of settings and patient populations. Recommendations were included in the Guideline where consensus on appropriate clinical practice was identified by the panel. Areas where additional research would provide valuable information for determining best practices were highlighted.