The Food and Drug Administration's approval of a mobile app to treat substance abuse marks a notable first step in a digital transformation that could reshape the way clinicians treat addiction, according to one former federal health official.
Last week, the FDA approved Reset, the first mobile medical application to treat substance abuse disorders in conjunction with outpatient therapy. Manufactured by Pear Therapeutics, the app delivers cognitive behavioral therapy to assist with treatment for alcohol, cocaine, marijuana and stimulants. It was approved by the agency after a 12-week clinical trial that showed patients using the app “showed a statistically significant increase in adherence to abstinence.”
