A ‘miracle molecule’ could cut fentanyl deaths in half — or lead more into addiction
PoliticoBut the proposal faces opposition from the health care providers with the most intimate knowledge of methadone treatment: methadone clinic directors. “The idea that a physician in private practice without support staff … that they’re going to be able to treat a complex medical problem like the use of fentanyl, is just not substantiated,” said Mark Parrino, president of the American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence, which represents methadone clinics. A hard sell Physicians prescribing methadone need to find the right dose for each patient fast so the patient doesn’t experience withdrawal, which often prompts them to drop treatment. Expanding prescribing and dispensing of methadone would give people more options to stay in treatment, said the American Society of Addiction Medicine’s Hurley. “No one asks: ‘When is my diabetes cured?’ Or: ‘How long will I need to be on this blood pressure medication?’ Hurley said of how long people with opioid use disorder need treatment.