Technical Experts comprise a multidisciplinary group of clinical, content, and methodologic experts who provide input in defining populations, interventions, comparisons, or outcomes as well as identifying particular studies or databases to search. They are selected to provide broad expertise and perspectives specific to the topic under development. Divergent and conflicted opinions are common and perceived as healthy scientific discourse that results in a thoughtful, relevant systematic review. Therefore, study questions, design, and methodological approaches do not necessarily represent the views of individual technical and content experts. Technical Experts provide information to the EPC to identify literature search strategies and recommend approaches to specific issues as requested by the EPC. Technical Experts do not do analysis of any kind or contribute to the writing of the report and have not reviewed the report, except as given the opportunity to do so through the peer or public review mechanism.

Technical Experts must disclose any financial conflicts of interest greater than $10,000 and any other relevant business or professional conflicts of interest. Because of their unique clinical or content expertise, individuals are invited to serve as Technical Experts and those who present with potential conflicts may be retained. The Task Order Officer and the EPC work to balance, manage, or mitigate any potential conflicts of interest identified.

The list of Technical Experts who participated in developing this report follows:

• Raymond Anton, M.D.
  Medical University of South Carolina
  Charleston, SC
• David Fiellin, M.D.
  Yale University
  New Haven, CT
• Marc Fishman, M.D.
  Johns Hopkins University
  Baltimore, MD
• Joshua Lee, M.D., M.Sc.
  New York University
  New York, NY
• Raye Litten, Ph.D.
  National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
  Bethesda, MD
• Robert Lubran, M.S., M.P.A.
  Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
  Rockville, MD
• Sandrine Pirard, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H.
  National Institute on Drug Abuse
  National Institutes of Health
  Baltimore, MD