Pubdate: Tue, 04 Mar 2008 Source: Sunday Gazette-Mail (WV) Copyright: 2008, Sunday Gazette-Mail Contact: http://sundaygazettemail.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1404 Author: Eric Eyre Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?136 (Methadone) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topic/suboxone (Suboxone) CLINICS URGE NEW OPTION New Drug Safer For Addiction Treatment Mental health centers across West Virginia are promoting a new treatment for painkiller addiction. The treatment program - an alternative to methadone clinics - includes counseling and the use of a relatively new medicine called Suboxone. "It prevents somebody from getting high when using an opiate drug," said Genise Lalos, director of addiction services with the Prestera Center. "It blocks the high. This is the gold standard for treating opiate addiction." Last week, Prestera and three other nonprofit behavioral health centers - Seneca Health Services of Summersville, Valley Health of Huntington and West Brook Health Centers of Parkersburg - received a $360,000 grant to promote the new treatment program over the next two years. The organizations serve 40 of West Virginia's 55 counties. Unlike methadone, addicts don't have to drive to a clinic to get a dose of Suboxone. They go to a doctor's office instead. Physicians can prescribe Suboxone - a special version of the drug buprenorphine - - to help addicts get off painkillers such as OxyContin. "You don't have to go to a methadone clinic every other day and stand in line with 100 other people," Lalos said. "You would get this like you would any other medication. This is as effective as methadone, but it has fewer side effects and risk factors." Lalos said it's virtually impossible to overdose on Suboxone. The drug includes an antidote that hospitals give to patients who have overdosed on methadone. "It's a safer drug," Lalos said. "A lot of physicians feel more at ease in prescribing it." Physicians who want to prescribe the medication must receive special training. They can write prescriptions for up to 30 patients the first year, and 100 patients in subsequent years. People who take part in the new treatment program would receive the drug after visiting a physician and attend outpatient counseling about three times a week. Treatment lasts from one to two years. "It's important that you have a counseling program, so when you stop taking the medication you won't relapse," Lalos said. Mental health centers across West Virginia are promoting a new treatment for painkiller addiction. The treatment program - an alternative to methadone clinics - includes counseling and the use of a relatively new medicine called Suboxone. "It prevents somebody from getting high when using an opiate drug," said Genise Lalos, director of addiction services with the Prestera Center. "It blocks the high. This is the gold standard for treating opiate addiction." Last week, Prestera and three other nonprofit behavioral health centers - Seneca Health Services of Summersville, Valley Health of Huntington and West Brook Health Centers of Parkersburg - received a $360,000 grant to promote the new treatment program over the next two years. The organizations serve 40 of West Virginia's 55 counties. Unlike methadone, addicts don't have to drive to a clinic to get a dose of Suboxone. They go to a doctor's office instead. Physicians can prescribe Suboxone - a special version of the drug buprenorphine - - to help addicts get off painkillers such as OxyContin. "You don't have to go to a methadone clinic every other day and stand in line with 100 other people," Lalos said. "You would get this like you would any other medication. This is as effective as methadone, but it has fewer side effects and risk factors." Lalos said it's virtually impossible to overdose on Suboxone. The drug includes an antidote that hospitals give to patients who have overdosed on methadone. "It's a safer drug," Lalos said. "A lot of physicians feel more at ease in prescribing it." Physicians who want to prescribe the medication must receive special training. They can write prescriptions for up to 30 patients the first year, and 100 patients in subsequent years. People who take part in the new treatment program would receive the drug after visiting a physician and attend outpatient counseling about three times a week. Treatment lasts from one to two years. "It's important that you have a counseling program, so when you stop taking the medication you won't relapse," Lalos said. As part of the grant, the health centers hope to make the drug more available to low-income West Virginians. West Virginia Medicaid doesn't pay for Suboxone, just as it doesn't pay for methadone. Most poor people without health insurance can't afford Sudoxone - about $400 to $600 for a monthly supply. "We're going to look at how can the state of West Virginia provide this treatment to indigents and low-income people who desperately need this," Lalos said. Methadone clinic supporters have criticized Suboxone treatment programs, saying they don't work for everyone addicted to painkillers. Lalos said the drug works for most people, but isn't always effective on addicts who take extremely high doses of opiates. An estimated 83,000 West Virginians abuse painkillers each year. "The state of West Virginia is seeing an increase in residents abusing opiate drugs, whether it's prescribed like OxyContin, or an illicit drug like heroin," Lalos said. "If we don't do something, we could have a crisis on our hands." West Virginia was one of six states that received a grant last week from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to improve drug addiction treatment. West Virginia's behavioral health centers also plan to use part of the money to decrease the time between when someone calls for help with a drug problem and when treatment starts. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom