buprenorphine

Only 1 in 5 people with opioid addiction get the medications to treat it, study finds

2:16pm August 07, 2023

by Brian Mann

Overdose deaths from fentanyl and other opioids have surged but medications that could save thousands of lives "are sitting on the shelf unused," according to new research.

Registered nurse Jamie Simmons speaks with a patient during an appointment at the Greater New Bedford Community Health Center in Massachusetts. The patient, whose first name is Kim, says buprenorphine has helped her stay off heroin and avoid an overdose for nearly 20 years.

Health & Safety

A roadblock to life-saving addiction treatment is gone. Now what?

4:37pm March 09, 2023

by Martha Bebinger

Federal restrictions seemed to explain why many doctors weren't prescribing medication for opioid addiction. But some caution that removing those rules isn't enough to overcome hesitancy and stigma.

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To Stop Deadly Overdoses, 'The Opioid Fix' Urges Better Use Of Tools We Already Have

2:05pm July 21, 2020

by Carrie Feibel

Early data suggest the pandemic may be driving up overdoses. Author Barbara Andraka-Christou says the solution to the addiction crisis is right before us: Improve access to life-saving medication.

A January report found that 40% of U.S. counties don't have a single health care provider approved to prescribe buprenorphine, a medicine integral to helping many patients beat opioid addiction. Permitting more-distant doctors to evaluate patients online

Coronavirus Crisis Spurs Access To Online Treatment For Opioid Addiction

3:54pm April 20, 2020

by Phil Galewitz

The federal government has waived a law that required an in-person doctor's visit before patients could be prescribed drugs that quell withdrawal symptoms. That's a boon for patients, counselors say.

Suboxone, a combination of buprenorphine and naloxone, helps many people addicted to opioids wean themselves from an escalating drug habit. But counseling and social support are key to successful treatment, too, experts say.

Health & Safety

Opioid Addiction Is 'A Disease Of Isolation,' So Pandemic Puts Recovery At Risk

10:05am March 27, 2020

by Martha Bebinger

People in recovery from opioid or alcohol addiction are weathering a new storm of depression, anxiety and isolation these days, as 12-step programs move online and detox centers close their doors.

Sarah Ziegenhorn and Andy Beeler shared a selfie while hiking in Texas' Big Bend National Park in December 2018. Beeler died of an opioid overdose last March. Ziegenhorn traces his death to the many obstacles to medical care that Beeler experienced while

Health & Safety

They Fell In Love Helping Drug Users. But Fear Kept Him From Helping Himself

3:41pm February 24, 2020

by Will Stone

Sarah and Andy were in love and also advocates, determined to keep drug users from dying. But when his own addiction reemerged, Andy's fear of returning to prison kept him from the best treatment.

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Dr. Peter Grinspoon was a practicing physician when he became addicted to opioids. When he got caught, Grinspoon wasn't allowed access to what's now the standard treatment for addiction — buprenorphine or methadone (in addition to counseling) — precis

For Health Workers Struggling With Addiction, Why Are Treatment Options Limited?

12:11pm September 06, 2019

by Selena Simmons-Duffin

Doctors and nurses are often barred from turning to FDA-approved medications that research shows to be the most effective way to quit. Critics of that policy say stigma is undermining best practice

Richard Ost owns Philadelphia Pharmacy, in the city's Kensington neighborhood. He says he has stopped carrying Suboxone, for the most part, because the illegal market for the drug brought unwanted traffic to his store.

It's The Go-To Drug To Treat Opioid Addiction. Why Won't More Pharmacies Stock It?

1:27pm August 13, 2019

by Nina Feldman

It can be hard enough finding a doctor who prescribes buprenorphine, a medication used to treat opioid addiction. But patients also report difficulty with pharmacies that refuse to stock the drug.

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The drug buprenorphine blocks the cravings associated with addiction. It comes in tablets and dissolvable film. The only injectable form available is a drug called Sublocade; a rival drug is ready for market but may be blocked for several years by the FDA

Health & Safety

In Midst Of Opioid Crisis, FDA May Block New Addiction Drug From Market

9:00pm May 24, 2019

by Alison Kodjak

A quirk in the law gives an older opioid addiction treatment "orphan drug" status — and a period of exclusive market access. That may prevent some new therapies from reaching patients for years.

The Massachusetts Alcohol and Substance Abuse Center in Plymouth houses men for court-mandated addiction treatment.

Prison For Forced Addiction Treatment? A Parent's 'Last Resort' Has Consequences

7:13am April 20, 2019

by Deborah Becker

Thousands of Massachusetts residents have been committed to treatment for addiction against their will. Some families say locking up addicts in prison isn't treatment. Others say it saves lives.