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will find information and resources related to evidence-based treatment models, counseling and
therapy and payment and insurance options.
Treatment for addiction takes many forms and depends on the needs of the
individual. In accordance with the American Society of Addiction Medicine, we offer
information on outcome-oriented treatment that adheres to an established continuum of
care. In this section, you will find information and resources related to evidence-based
treatment models, counseling and therapy and payment and insurance options.
The recovery process doesn't end after 90 days of treatment. The transition back to
life outside of rehab is fraught with the potential for relapse. Aftercare resources such as
12-step groups, sober living homes and support for family and friends promote a life rich with
rewarding relationships and meaning.
Our community offers unique perspectives on lifelong recovery and substance use
prevention, empowering others through stories of strength and courage. From people in active
recovery to advocates who have lost loved ones to the devastating disease of addiction, our
community understands the struggle and provides guidance born of personal experience.
Imagine the life of an opioid addict desperate for help. They are addicted to a substance that controls their life. They no longer want to take pills or shoot up, but they have to because the pain of withdrawal is so great that continuing to use is the lesser of two evils. Taking Suboxone may be their only hope, but doctors refuse to treat them. They hear excuses like “I’ve reached my limit,” “I’m not certified to prescribe that to you,” or simply, “I can’t help you.”
Suboxone is proven to help opioid addicts recover from addiction. However, unnecessary hurdles that prevent doctors from prescribing the drug mean millions of addicts who want help go untreated.
Problems With Prescribing Suboxone
The unique nature of buprenorphine, Suboxone’s active ingredient, causes it to fall under the Drug Addiction Treatment Act (DATA) of 2000. DATA requires that doctors to fill out a waiver — essentially an application — in order to prescribe the drug. The government also requires doctors take an eight-hour online course about buprenorphine. Once the course is taken and the waiver is approved, the doctors are allowed to prescribe Suboxone — with a catch. Within the first year, they can prescribe the drug to only 30 patients. After the first year, they are allowed to write up to 100 prescriptions.
This government’s primary fear is dealers’ ability to sell Suboxone’s on the streets. The government cites tertiary evidence that addicts use Suboxone as a substitute for heroin, or as a temporary fix, until their next score is obtained. However, buprenorphine’s primary effect is to stop opioid withdrawal, not to feel an opioid high. When interviewed, former addicts claim most people use Suboxone illegally to wean themselves from their addiction.
A Doctor’s Perspective
The process of prescribing Suboxone to a patient is a complicated one. One out of every five doctors feel overworked as it is, so in addition to their already heavy workload add:
Using an entire working day to take an online class
Filling out, sending, and waiting for the waiver application
Announcing to the public that they are prescribing Suboxone
Screening the candidates who need help, then choosing those they feel will benefit from the drug
Waiting for the patient to take the drug at the appropriate time
Giving the right dosage to the patient
Seeing the patient three times a week for two weeks
Seeing the patient once every other week for a month to check their progress
Seeing the patient regularly after that to check on their progress
Deciding when, if ever, the patient can go off the drug.
Multiply the patient process by 30, and that is the additional strain a doctor experiences in the first year of prescribing Suboxone; add another 70 patients after year one.
A Drug in Demand
Close to a million doctors can prescribe opioid-based medications in the United States, yet only 32,000 are authorized to prescribe Suboxone. Of the 50 states, only three adequately fill the needs of their opioid-addicted population; 28 states serve less than half. Millions of addicts can’t get the medicine they need, and doctors are starting to take notice.
Fighting for Change
In 2015, U.S. Senators Edward Markey of Massachusetts and Rand Paul of Kentucky proposed The Recovery Enhancement for Addiction Treatment Act, which sought to remove some of the regulations surrounding buprenorphine. This included the 30-patient limit and allowed certain nurse practitioners and physician’s assistants to prescribe the drug. In September of 2015, Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell announced that the organization would rewrite certain policies surrounding the distribution of buprenorphine.
The Future of Suboxone
As the number of people addicted to opioids rise, so does the need for effective opioid treatment. Suboxone is proven to help addicts recover, and prescriptions increased more than 10 times from 2003 – 2013. Government regulations surrounding the drug are slowly disappearing. With innovative ways of taking buprenorphine on the horizon, we may be closer to a time where opioid addiction is a thing of the past.
Medical Disclaimer: DrugRehab.com aims to improve the quality of life for people struggling with a substance use or mental health disorder with fact-based content about the nature of behavioral health conditions, treatment options and their related outcomes. We publish material that is researched, cited, edited and reviewed by licensed medical professionals. The information we provide is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. It should not be used in place of the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider.
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Schaenzer, A. (2016, January 24). Lake County Naloxone Program Saves 49 LIves. Retrieved from http://patch.com/illinois/grayslake/49-lives-saved-drug-overdose-lake-co-naloxone-program-introduced-0
Stopoverdose.org. (n.d.). Naloxone (Narcan): Frequently Asked Questions Retrieved from http://stopoverdose.org/faq.htm#safetynet
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