Pubdate: Sun, 05 Mar 2006
Source: Boston Herald (MA)
Contact:  http://news.bostonherald.com/
Address: PO BOX 2096, Boston MA 02106-2096
Fax: 617-542-1315
Copyright: 2006 The Boston Herald, Inc
Author: Laura  Crimaldi

SKEPTICS SAY SUBOXONE ISN'T MIRACLE CURE

While many doctors prescribing Suboxone to their opioid-addicted 
patients are happy with the drug, the therapy doesn't work for 
everyone. A Medford father  said he paid $300 a month for a year for 
his 23-year-old son to take Suboxone,  but the young man is back 
abusing prescription painkillers.

"He's back using  again," the father said. "Half the time, I think he 
was selling them." Nick Reuter, a  senior public health analyst for 
the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health  Services 
Administration, said he hasn't seen "extensive" diversion of 
Suboxone  since the drug became available in 2003. But the 
worry  that patients are only their taking their Suboxone when they 
are too cash-strapped to afford their drug habits is part of the 
reason why addiction  specialist Dr. P.S. Kishore of Brookline 
doesn't use the medication in  outpatient settings.

The Medford  father agreed. "It makes it too easy to go on and off 
the (Suboxone), " he said.  "He got the money, he'd do his drugs."
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