It is no secret that there is an opioid epidemic happening in America right now, but there is still a debate happening over who should be overseeing buprenorphine treatment to help patients through withdrawal. Suboxone treatment is something that needs to be handled with extreme care, so it is a sensitive subject that many are passionate about. However, many people don’t think using medication to treat addiction is a good idea, so it is important to understand all sides of the debate before deciding on a treatment method. Hope Centers of Central Florida in Orlando want to make sure that you are comfortable with all treatment options and that you know exactly what to expect.
What Does Buprenorphine Treatment Involve?
When it comes to suboxone treatment, there are really two different sides. There is one side that believes that buprenorphine should be deregulated, which would make it easier for clinicians to prescribe the medication to addicts dealing with withdrawal and the other side believes that the prescription of buprenorphine should be left only to federally-credentialed opioid treatment centers because they have the capabilities to provide other services like counseling and therapy to help patients with all of the other side effects of recovery.
Those who believe that deregulating buprenorphine is a good idea argue that doing so would help save more lives because more patients can seek help from a local clinic. With the current government restrictions, clinicians need to receive anywhere between eight to twenty-four hours of training sessions, obtain a special license, as well as allow agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration to look at and review patient records. Deregulating buprenorphine could help save more lives in three ways. The first is that the extra steps would be eliminated clinicians wouldn’t have to go through audits, training, or licensure to prescribe the meds. Also, it would be easier for patients to find a provider near them to prescribe buprenorphine. Finally, by deregulating the medication, some of the stigma surrounding the treatment of opioid disorders may be removed.
The other side of the argument that believes buprenorphine should be regulated says that only clinicians that follow and pass the governmental restrictions should be allowed to prescribe the medication. This side believes that opioid disorders are complex and should only be handled by clinicians that receive training and specials licenses. The distribution of this medication should follow regulations for a few reasons. The first reason is that an overdose on this medication could occur when it is combined with alcohol or other drugs, and without proper training, physicians don’t know how to handle this situation. Also, when the medication is distributed by trained professionals, they will offer other resources to patients, including counseling and therapy. Finally, general healthcare clinicians have been known at times to overprescribe medications like painkillers, which has led in part to the opioid crisis, so why should they be allowed to prescribe this medication?
Contact Us For Suboxone Treatment
Hope Centers of Central Florida is a leading Orlando treatment center offering the best treatment options for those suffering from addiction. Our experienced team is available to answer any questions our patients or their families may have during buprenorphine treatment. Call or visit us today to find out why people are coming to Orlando and us for the help they need.
