Last Updated on January 29, 2017 by Morris Green
Have people who are overcoming heroin or opioid addiction been “buped” by the drug industry? Buprenorphine, or “bupe” for short, is the drug commonly used to treat heroin abuse.
Similar to the way heroin reacts to the brain, buprenorphine attaches to the brain’s opioid receptors, but it does not cause the user to experience the ups and downs as heroin does. The main reason doctors prescribe bupe is because it allows those addicted to opioids to have their cravings satisfied, however, its effect is more sobering than more intoxicating drugs like heroin. Although some people still experience heroin-like highs from using bupe, a majority of people who are prescribed bupe have shown signs of improvement from using the drug.
Even with such high praise, the drug has become the most illegally used drug in the country. From doctors who sell it directly to patients – which is illegal – to the users who sell it on the street, bupe is more abused than marijuana, PCP and even heroin itself. Though we know other prescription drugs are being sold and used illegally, the misuse of bupe has surpassed them all. One study even uncovered that the drug has been sold as contraband in prisons, disguised as a thin strip that can be easily be hidden.
With so many reported misuses of this drug, isn’t it about time for our law enforcement, regulators, doctors and prescribers to wake up?
Several publishers believe the reason the drug industry and government have not been enforcing laws and disciplinary actions is because several parties are benefitting by either selling the drug or even using it themselves. This is disheartening since bupe was created to help people recover from addictions. However, in recent news, the drug is starting to do more harm than good for anyone who touches it.
This problem with Suboxone and drugs like it is the gray area or thin line that exists between what is considered the illegal versus the legal use of drugs to treat dependence and addiction. From the user’s perspective, just because a drug is “legal” in a sense doesn’t mean it is not harmful. The biggest harm with the continued use of Suboxone is the likelihood of becoming dependent on the drug forever. Legally prescribed drugs are just as addictive as illegally used drugs, and as we see in this instance, users have to be careful that they are not trading one addiction for another.
The New York Times has been following some of the doctors and clinics that prescribe Suboxone and generic buprenorphine to treat heroin and opioid addictions. These studies show how one drug that was created for “social good” has brought out the bad among users, prescribers, drug companies and government and law enforcement. We encourage you to read the following articles and stories and let us know what you think.
This is a timely article that speaks to prevention in that it pricks the consciousness of providers to judiciously prescribe pain medication to patients because of the significant addictive properties. The prevalence of addiction to opioids is growing in this country, including populations who use it as prescribed as well as illicitly. In working with clients who become dependent, we have realized that this is among those problems more challenging to overcome. This type of addiction requires changes in not only one’s thought processing, but also that of their behavior and environment. According to Stuckert (2011), quitting cold turkey is less effective, pointing out that “medication-assisgted treatment options like Methadone, Naltrexone and Suboxone benefit patients in stayhing sober while reducing the side effects of withdrawal and curbing cravings which lead to relapse.”
Medication-assisted treatment programs provide the client/patient with a regimented monitoring system along with education, counseling and support that focuses on the distinguishing behaviors associated with the addiction that can enhance recovery efforts. Recently, one of my clients acknowledged that he is dependent on Hydrocondone, entering into the Stage of Readiness for Change. He agreed to go into detox, requesting an inpatient program that used Soboxone as the method of treatment due to his having heard that it works. What we found is that locating a p;hysician in the area that he lives was difficult because of the limited number that prescribe the medication; however, once this was achieved he was admitted and successfully completed treatment. Thereafter, he had to face other limitations with transportation which became a barrier to his being able to meet the outpatient Suboxone clinic requirements to continue with the therapy.
This scenario helps both clinician and client to see the importance of being flexible in finding available alternatives to continued care that will support recovery and serve to strengthening the client’s ability to surf through urges that lead to relapse. Completing a thorough research of treatment options that are compatible with the client are key to successful therapeutic experience.