[Recent results in relaps prevention of alcoholism with Disulfiram].

OBJECTIVE

For more than 50 years, disulfiram has been approved for the treatment of chronic alcohol dependence. In the last years there has been observed an increase in the prescription of disulfiram in germany. It acts as a psychological deterrence of a possible disulfiram-alcohol reaction. This paper describes the current clinical impact and possible future of disulfiram.

METHODS

Clinical trials using disulfiram for the treatment of alcohol dependence were discussed. Furthermore, the options of combining disulfiram with novel anti-craving agents were considered. Moreover, experiences and results of a cross section of the Mannheimer Disulfiram program will be presented.

RESULTS AND

CONCLUSIONS

Nowadays there exists consent in the matter that Disulfiram should only be adminsitered as part of a comprehensive therapy program, this means in the context of an intake under medical supervision. This paper is supposed to help estimate the value of disulfiram in recent addiction medicine.