Months in prison didn’t rid Daryl of his addiction to opioids. “Before I left the parking lot of the prison, I was shooting up, getting high,” he says. Daryl has used heroin and prescription painkillers for more than a decade. Almost four years ago he became one of more than…
Too Few People Who Survive Opioid Overdose Get Medication-Assisted Treatment
A new study concludes too few people who survive an opioid overdose receive medication-assisted treatment that will reduce the chance of another overdose. The study included more than 17,500 adults who survived an opioid overdose and found only about one-third received either buprenorphine (Suboxone), methadone or naltrexone (Vivitrol), HealthDay reports. Among people…
Although their introductions as treatment are different, two top medications for opioid addiction are equally effective
With opioid addiction officially declared a public health emergency in the U.S., medical intervention to treat the illness is increasingly important in responding to the epidemic. Now, a new study concludes that two of the top medications available for outpatient, office-based treatment, once initiated, are equally safe and effective in…
Inadequate Access to Addiction Treatment Leads to Suboxone Black Market
Inadequate access to opioid addiction treatment programs has led to a thriving black market for Suboxone, the drug that helps patients overcome their addiction, experts tell The Wall Street Journal. More than 36,000 doctors are certified in the United States to prescribe Suboxone and other buprenorphine-based medications. Until last year, those…
Mindfulness May Help Patients Reduce Suboxone Dose, Pilot Program Suggests
The practice of mindfulness, or paying attention “on purpose” to the present moment without judgment, may be helpful for people trying to reduce their dose of the opioid medication buprenorphine/naloxone (Suboxone), according to Zev Schuman-Olivier, MD, Medical Director for Addictions and Executive Director for the Center for Mindfulness and Compassion at…