Addiction Medications Safe for Doctors in Recovery, Study Says

A new 30-year study adds weight to a simple, sometimes contested idea in addiction medicine: medication-assisted treatment (MAT) can be a safe, effective part of recovery, even for the professionals who prescribe these medicines themselves.

Researchers found that doctors and pharmacists who used FDA-approved addiction medications while being monitored for a substance use disorder did just as well as those who did not.

The study, published June 12, 2026 in the Journal of Addiction Medicine, examined records from a single state physician health program (PHP). For anyone weighing how medication fits into recovery after medical detox, the findings speak to a question that reaches well beyond healthcare workers.

What the Study Looked At

Researchers Cristiana N.P. Araujo, Alexandria Polles, and Lisa J. Merlo reviewed PHP records for 45 physicians and 37 pharmacists with a substance use disorder, some with a co-occurring pain disorder.

Every participant had used an opioid agonist or antagonist medication, with or without other forms of MAT, during monitoring that spanned three decades.

The team tracked demographics, the type and length of monitoring, medication use, neurocognitive testing results and how each person’s monitoring ended.

What the Study Found

Outcomes were strong across the board. More than 70% of participants either graduated from monitoring or were in good standing at the time of review, whether or not they used MAT.

Small numbers had less favorable paths: four participants (4.9%) returned to the program after a return to use, four (4.9%) stopped monitoring against recommendations, and four (4.9%) were referred to the licensing board for noncompliance. There were five deaths, none related to substance use.

The central finding is the one the authors emphasize: periods of MAT use were not linked to worse outcomes or to additional impairment. In other words, taking medication did not make these professionals less likely to recover or less fit to practice.

Why Medical Detox and MAT Matter

Medical detox is the supervised first step of stopping opioids, alcohol, or other substances safely, with clinicians managing withdrawal. For opioid use disorder, detox alone is rarely enough, and the period right after detox carries a high relapse and overdose risk.

That is where MAT comes in. The same study population had used opioid agonist or antagonist medications, the families of drugs that include buprenorphine and naltrexone.

This research matters because PHPs have historically leaned heavily toward abstinence-only recovery, and many have effectively restricted or discouraged medications like buprenorphine and methadone for the professionals they monitor.

Five-year recovery rates in these programs typically exceed 70%, but that track record was built largely without MAT, and clinicians and researchers have increasingly questioned the de facto limits on medications that are considered the standard of care for opioid use disorder.

Understanding the Medications

The study focused on opioid agonist and antagonist medications. Buprenorphine is a partial opioid agonist that eases cravings and withdrawal without producing the same high, which is why it is widely used in office-based treatment.

Naltrexone is an antagonist that blocks opioid effects entirely and is also used for alcohol use disorder. Both are FDA-approved and pair well with counseling and monitoring.

The authors highlight one practical point for this group: extended-release formulations, such as long-acting injectable medications, may be especially helpful for monitored professionals, since they remove the daily-dosing burden and support consistent adherence.

Finding Medical Detox

The study’s bottom line, in the authors’ words, is that all FDA-approved MAT should be considered on an individual basis when clinically appropriate.

If you or a loved one is starting recovery from opioids or alcohol, a medically supervised detox is the safe first step, and MAT can be part of the plan that follows.

Never attempt alcohol or benzodiazepine detox without medical supervision, as withdrawal from these substances can be life-threatening. Detox.com can help you find medically supervised detox programs and MAT options. Call 800-996-6135(Sponsored) to speak with a treatment advisor today.