The USC Institute for Addiction Science (IAS), in an effort to revolutionize the way substance use disorders are discussed and treated, has launched the Master of Addiction Science program — the first of its kind to be offered at a major university. Currently, the standard approach to addiction treatment is based on a siloed structure of specialists who each treat their own aspect of a patient’s addiction, using only the tools within their discipline.

The new program, however, will involve collaboration between the Alfred E. Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, the Keck School of Medicine of USC’s Department of Population and Public Health Sciences and the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work. The goal is to encourage a more integrated and comprehensive approach to clinical treatment of substance abuse disorder, which is the third-leading preventable cause of death in the United States.

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