Pubdate: Thu, 08 Jan 2004
Source: Charleston Gazette (WV)
Copyright: 2004 Charleston Gazette
Contact:  http://www.wvgazette.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/77
Author: Tara Tuckwiller

METHADONE CLINIC MORATORIUM POSSIBLE

The state Health Care Authority will vote Jan. 19 whether to put a 
moratorium on new methadone clinics in West Virginia.

"Methadone clinics have become quite controversial," said Sonia Chambers, 
chairwoman of the HCA.

West Virginia had no methadone clinics until 2001. Now, it has seven. The 
for-profit clinics sell methadone, a synthetic opioid, mostly to OxyContin 
addicts. The legal methadone is supposed to replace OxyContin, the opioid 
painkiller that is often obtained illegally.

Methadone is also highly addictive, and it has been abused as a street 
drug. West Virginia has no state regulations on methadone clinics - unlike 
its neighboring states. Delegate Marshall Long, D-Mercer, has said he plans 
to introduce a bill during the legislative session to regulate methadone in 
West Virginia.

In the meantime, the Health Care Authority could vote to immediately block 
new methadone clinics, "while the issues have a chance to be debated in the 
legislative session," Chambers said.

"A number of people in state government, legislators and regular citizens 
have concerns about methadone clinics," Chambers said. "There are strong 
feelings on both sides."

Delegate Long's home county, Mercer, is one of several where methadone 
companies have applied to build clinics. The HCA has also recently gotten 
"certificate of need" applications from companies wanting to build clinics 
in Weirton, Greenbrier County, Mineral County, Nicholas County, and two in 
Kanawha County.

"We've had a number of applications filed," Chambers said. "We've approved 
a number of certificates of need, but the number of applications we receive 
continues to grow."
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MAP posted-by: Larry Stevens