Letter to the Editor

摘要

The Jenkinson and Ravert article "Underutilization of Primary Care Providers in Treating Opiate Addiction" identifies the pressing need for assessment and management of substance use disorders (SUDs). I would like to clarify and augment their message. First, the authors use the terms opioid and opiate interchangeably. Opiates are naturally occurring alkaloids derived from the poppy plant. Heroin is the most familiar example. Opioids are synthetic analgesics, which may be entirely synthetic or a mixture of naturally occurring and synthetic drugs.