Only 1 in 5 people with opioid addiction get the medications to treat it, study finds

A recent study found that only one in five people suffering from opioid addiction in the US receive proper medications for their condition.

Key Findings: The study revealed that only 20% of people with opioid use disorder receive medications like methadone, buprenorphine, or extended-release naltrexone, which are considered gold standard for opioid treatment.
* These medicines are safe, effective and help the patients recover, but are often not prescribed by doctors.
* According to the FDA, these medications, in combination with counseling and other therapies, can reduce cravings for high-risk drugs like heroin and fentanyl.

Challenges and Implications: Experts point to stigma around addiction and lack of training among healthcare providers as major obstacles in using these lifesaving drugs.
* Particularly among women, Black adults, the unemployed, and urban dwellers, these medicines are “vastly underused”.
* Over 80,000 people are dying from drug overdoses involving opioids yearly, while effective treatments are underused.

Stats and Facts: Opioid overdoses led to over 80,000 deaths in the US in 2021, a record high, with nearly 83,000 fatal overdoses in 2022.
* A 2018 study indicated that methadone reduced overdose death rates by 59%, and buprenorphine did so by 38%.

Telehealth Potential: The study also found that those who receive medical support through telehealth services are nearly 38 times more likely to be prescribed the necessary medications.
* This aligns with the findings of a previous CDC report, indicating that telehealth can be an crucial strategy in treating opioid addiction and preventing overdoses.

View original article on NPR

This summary was created by an AI system. The use of this summary is subject to our Terms of Service.

Contact us about this post

Posted

in

by

Tags:

Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *