Families, Friends of Addicts Push For Access to Suboxone at Drug Rehab Centers in Minnesota
Suboxone is an FDA-approved medication proven effective at helping opioid addicts overcome dependence and addiction. But despite the drug’s efficacy, many 12-step addiction treatment programs in the state are against using Suboxone, saying drug addiction shouldn’t be treated using another drug. In an effort to prevent their loved ones from suffering opioid overdoses and death, residents are pushing for increased access to Suboxone at drug rehab centers in Minnesota.
Are you or a loved one struggling with addiction to opioid painkillers? Call our confidential helpline at 888-414-2380 to learn more about treatments at local drug rehab centers that can help you overcome opioid dependence and addiction.
Losing a Loved One To Opioid Addiction
Without medication assistance, many opioid addicts relapse and die of an overdose.
Shelly Elkington of Montevideo recently lost her daughter Casey Jo to painkiller addiction. During her senior year of high school, Casey Jo was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease and prescribed fentanyl patches for pain relief. After a short period of time, Casey Jo became addicted to the potent opioid painkiller, which is up to 100 times stronger than morphine.
At the height of her addiction, Casey Jo weighed only 80 pounds. Elkington says her daughter was against seeking addiction treatment for fear of being without drugs at any given time. After hearing about Suboxone and its success with treating opioid addiction, Elkington began looking into local rehab centers that used this drug as part of treatment.
In her search for an opioid rehab center that offered Suboxone, Elkington spoke with several centers against using the drug, saying it encouraged addiction. After several attempts, Elkington was finally able to make an appointment for Casey Jo at a rehab center that used Suboxone to treat opioid addiction. Unfortunately, Casey Jo died of an overdose on the day of her scheduled appointment.
Expanding Access to Suboxone in Minnesota
Elkington has joined Senator Amy Klobuchar in supporting a bill that would greatly expand access to medication-assisted treatments in Minnesota that involve the use of Suboxone. Dr. Mark Willenbring, former Director of the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and operator of a St. Paul addiction clinic, considers himself an outspoken critic of 12-step programs that rule against suboxone. Willenbring says there’s only one treatment proven effective at treating opioid addiction, and that it involves maintenance with methadone or Suboxone — also known as buprenorphine.
Dr. Gavin Bart, head of addiction medicine at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis, says about 80% of patients who complete abstinence-based addiction treatment programs start abusing opioids again within two years. Bart adds that these individuals face a higher chance for overdose or death than recovering addicts who use medications to treat opioid addiction.
Presently in Minnesota, only 128 doctors are authorized to prescribe Suboxone to a maximum 275 patients. The drug can be prescribed by any physician who completes an eight-hour education course about Suboxone. Additionally, the state is home to 15 methadone clinics that serve 6,675 patients, all of whom visit their local clinics daily to receive methadone in liquid form.
If you or someone you care about is struggling with opioid addiction, call our confidential helpline at 888-414-2380 to learn more about your local rehab options. Our caring addiction specialists will help you find drug rehab centers in Minnesota that offer opioid addiction treatments and programs that work best for you or your loved one.
Featured Treatment Center
