Access to Medications for Opioid Dependence Limited in the US

America’s opioid problem has been building momentum over the last few decades; the nationwide epidemic now affects people in communities in San Jose, California and all across the country. Each year thousands of individuals work toward recovery in drug rehab centers with the looming threat of relapse and high death rates due to overdose.  

The highly addictive qualities of opioids and the susceptibility for developing a high tolerance to these drugs increase the risk of death by overdose. Researchers and care providers suggest that addiction treatment coupled with prescriptions for opioid dependence, such as buprenorphine, methadone and brand name Suboxone are more successful at treating addiction, making it more difficult for opioid drug users to overdose during a relapse.

Alternative news outlet Vice Media reported on the subject, writing, “the overwhelming majority of opioid-addicted people relapse at least once… simply maintaining tolerance is life-saving, even if the person does nothing more than show up and take the drug.” Nonetheless, restrictive laws in San Jose and throughout the United States make it increasingly difficult for providers and those in rehab centers to access these life-saving prescriptions.

What makes prescriptions like buprenorphine, methadone and brand name Suboxone more successful at treating addiction and reducing overdoses?

Prescription drugs for opioid dependence work to prevent the user from experiencing a high while maintaining tolerance levels. For instance, “Buprenorphine is an opioid and naloxone is an opioid antagonist that makes buprenorphine less prone to abuse. If the pill or film is crushed and snorted or injected, the naloxone blocks the high,” says The New York Times.

As a result, drug tolerance levels within the abuser remain at a level that can prevent overdose and death during relapse. The use of these prescriptions for managing opioid dependence along with treatment in rehab centers has a positive influence on recovery rates and decreased death rates during relapse for addicts in San Jose and abroad.

The New York Times says that although “nine hundred thousand doctors across the United States are licensed to write prescriptions for opioid painkillers, only 32,000 are allowed to prescribe Suboxone. The laws…reflect many Americans’ unease with opioid maintenance therapy.”

Healthcare providers, politicians and members of the general public in San Jose and across the U.S. are not in favor of using prescription pills to treat drug dependencies. Although research has shown these prescriptions are more successful at treating addiction and reducing overdose death rates, the social stigmas and laws that prevent these medications from being used in rehab centers still remain.

Nicole Donaldson is a health writer for Fusion 360, an SEO and content marketing agency. Information provided by Miramar Drug and Alcohol Rehab Centers. Follow on Twitter.