Friday, 18 September 2009 19:43 Written by Terry Newton

Harbor Hall Responds to Area Opioid Dependence Issue

For several months you have been watching the ads on television about the new drug pusher in town. Pictures of a readily accessible medicine cabinet show up and warn us about the need to lock away our prescription pain medications. Other ads have talked about the practice of "pharming," where a combination of drugs are put in a bowl to be used by area teens. Often it’s thought that the issue of prescription drug abuse is a down state issue and cannot be in our Northern Michigan towns. Unfortunately, we are not immuned. In fact, Northern Michigan has some of the highest rates of prescription drug addiction in the state.

Northern Michigan has tried to get an Opiate Replacement Clinic in the area but it has struggled in despite serious efforts due to budget constraints in the state.

Many people may have felt that addicted persons brought this on themselves and are not worthy of compassion. This is similar to thought processes that occurred years ago when AIDS was coming to the forefront. It was only through education that people realized that many were victims of tainted blood transfusions, contracting the disease through a sexual partner or, through the womb, and then the disease was treated with research dollars, compassion, and new treatments. The same is true for many in Northern Michigan who started out with legitimate pain issues and became addicted to opiate pain medication. The key term to realize, with prescription drug abuse, is that the drugs are prescribed. This is not to say that it is the doctor’s fault for this epidemic drug problem as they are acting out of concern for patient’s presenting diagnosis and treatment. The key is not to place blame but, to treat the problem once it has occurred. Some of the front-line defense in the treatment of opioid addiction is detoxification and treatment to get off of the substance. With some patients though, long-term addiction results in a change in brain chemistry which makes it very difficult for the person to come off of the opiate.

One of the leading medications used to treat opiate addiction is Suboxone. Buprenorphine (the primary active compound) reduces patients' opioid cravings and withdrawal symptoms. In addition, buprenorphine may discourage patients' use of non-prescribed opioids by binding to the mu receptor, thereby blocking other opioids' effects. An important element to realize is that Suboxone treatment without counseling has been shown to have little effect. Because it is such a crucial element, the Drug Addiction Treatment Act of 2000 requires that physicians seeking to obtain the certification to prescribe Suboxone must be able to provide or refer patients for counseling. Counseling means to actively help the client work on underlying issues through a patient-centered treatment plan.

Because Harbor Hall is committed to seeing clients succeed we have developed extensive programming that includes physician prescribed Suboxone in combination with counseling to work on lifestyle issues. Harbor Hall has contracted with two physicians that can accept up to one hundred area opiate addicted individuals. The fees are very reasonable for getting on the Suboxone and many clients can qualify for funding to cover the required counseling. If you are already seeing someone else for Suboxone therapy and wish to transfer the fee is only $130.00. If you have not been on Suboxone therapy and wish to try this avenue of treatment, the cost is a $200.00 Suboxone induction fee and a monthly $72.00 medication review.

If you are interested in any further information about treatment options for yourself or a loved one please call 231-347-9880