NEW YORK TIMES: A panel of medical experts recommended Tuesday that the Food and Drug Administration approve a new way of treating opioid addicts, using a slender rod implanted into the arm that delivers medicine for months at a time. Some doctors say it could help ease the national epidemic of drug overdoses.
The rod is about the size of a small matchstick and delivers daily doses of buprenorphine — one of the most common medical treatments for opioid addicts — for six-month periods. In controlled doses, buprenorphine can help the body withdraw from opioid addiction, but can also itself be addictive. That risk is increased by the fact that the medicine can be taken only by mouth, requiring patients, often ill from addiction, to manage their daily dosages…
“The problem is people are using buprenorphine to manage their addiction, not to recover from it,” said Joe R. Gay, executive director of Health Recovery Services Inc., a nonprofit treatment agency with clinics in six counties in Ohio. “This is a major problem in our area, and it has really undermined the credibility of buprenorphine treatment, which is actually very effective.” … (more)
EDITOR: As in the case with methadone treatment, many patients may need to use the drug indefinitely. However, this is not unusual for people with health problems such as a thyroid problems and diabetes. Nevertheless, they can return to family and employment.
A more sound warning made in the article is that patients may not be as likely to engage in counseling if medication is secure for six months. Just as with methadone which is only available at clinics, counseling and urine testing are a major portion of treatment during the initial year.
For more information concerning heroin treatment, visit www.DrugWarFacts.org
