Orange County, CA, 14th September 2020: Medical professionals at Steady Care Medical have expressed their need to emphasize on the importance of suboxone treatment as a medical-assisted therapy(MAT).

Substance use disorder is one of the major concerns in the United States. From alcohol to tobacco, the list is endless. But, out of all the substances that can be abused, opioid is the most dangerous one. According to the 2018 data by the National Institute of Health, 128 people die every day due to opioid overdose. The problem has reached a point where opioid use disorder or OUD is an epidemic on its own. But it’s not only the statistics of fatality that make opioids a risky medication, it is the fact that consumers can end up with an OUD easily if not supervised.

Opioids are prescribed medications for severe or chronic pain. These must be taken only under a controlled environment and according to the instructions of a trained professional. The doctor closely evaluates the condition of the patient and then plans out the entire treatment plan including the right dosage, the duration of the prescription and the possible side effects. But, if the patient refrains from diligently following the guidelines, he/she may develop side effects or in worse cases an addiction.

The severity of side effects from opioids can vary from person to person. But, most people report them as being intolerable. These effects include drowsiness, nausea, difficulty in breathing, constipation and increased sensitivity to pain. The worst of all is the unavoidable dependence.

For people who suffer from severe or chronic pain, opioids are a savior. But the fact cannot be ignored that they are addicting. With rising indulgence comes more dependence and severe withdrawal symptoms. Anxiety, persistent cold sweats, vomiting, muscle pain and abdominal cramps are some of the many withdrawal symptoms of opioids. If the patients are not weaned away from opioids in a careful and supervised manner, craving may increase and there is a high chance of relapse.

Also, like other medications, if the patient increases the intake against the instructions of the medical professional, an overdose is possible. And if no medical help is provided immediately, it can turn out to be fatal too. That’s because opioids are psychoactive and control the part of the brain responsible for regulating breathing.

In some cases, people suffering from OUD also shift to heroin. The reason for this is convenience and affordability. For people who have developed opioid addiction, access to opioids may be a tricky and expensive affair. As a result, they move over to a cheaper substance that is equally harmful- heroin. If we go by the statistics, about four to six percent of people who misuse prescription opioids transition into heroin. The case is worse backward. About 80 percent who use heroin admit to having misused prescription opioids first.

All these factors only indicate that opioids as pain medication are very risky. Though they are prescribed only by a trained professional, their misuse is also one of the highest in the country.

But, with the development in healthcare and medicine, there has been an effective medication included in MAT that slowly but gradually eliminates opioid addiction. It’s a combination of primarily naloxone and buprenorphine called suboxone.

It acts as an antagonist to narcotics or painkillers. It tightly binds itself to the same receptors as the opioids thus refraining further absorption of the narcotics. As a result, the consumer stops feeling the intoxication and cravings related to opioids. The patient is able to get back to their normal life at their own pace without feeling miserable. However, it is also important to note that suboxone abuse is also possible but the chances are low. Since it is a partial agonist, it does not deliver the same effects as opioids. Using it according to the prescription will help you avoid any withdrawal symptoms and get rid of opioid dependence successfully.

This is why there’s a need to emphasize the importance of suboxone treatment. Opioid addiction is a serious issue which is why more doctors and medical professionals must come forward to provide suboxone prescriptions. But the problem arises in the fact that not all doctors can treat opioid addiction with a suboxone prescription. There are certain restrictions that have to be met to become eligible.

Who Can Prescribe Suboxone For Opioid Addiction?

Suboxone has been by far the most effective treatment against OUD. Combined with therapy, suboxone treatment can help patients be back to their normal lives and free from any side effects. But the problem is that not many doctors are eligible for prescribing suboxone.

Though the Food and Drug Association approves of suboxone as a treatment for opioid addiction, the restrictions for the physicians who can give the prescriptions are different. One, they should have undergone a suboxone training program. It is meant to train the physicians about how to treat patients suffering from OUD with suboxone. Two, they should have a license or registration with the Drug Enforcement Administration or DEA for prescribing Suboxone to patients.

Since the substance use disorder is still on the rise, more physicians and medical professionals need to come forward to be trained to become eligible for suboxone treatment. In addition to this, access to suboxone should be made easy for patients. We are trying our best in that case.

At Steady Care Medical, we have trained doctors to provide you a consultation for suboxone treatment at home. With just a click, you get access to expert guidance and hassle-free solutions to all your needs. Our only aim is to provide the best medical services to all our patients. So, you can rest assured that our doctors will look after you with compassion and care. Since all our doctors are trained and have had successful results from other patients, you can lay your trust to find the best line of treatment.