CBS has an informative series on prescription pill addictions focusing primarily on the young called Generation Rx. I applaud their efforts for raising awareness on this issue that I feel is reaching almost epidemic proportions. However the segment on Suboxone called ”Can a Pill Solve Prescription Drug Abuse?” made a few points on which I would like to critique. Suboxone is a drug that is used to treat opioid (heroin/pain killers) addiction much in the same way methadone is used but in a pill form that is approved for use in non-treatment environments. Take a look at the pharmaceutical website for more info or for a more real world take on the subject visit a recent post by Erin over at What Winners Do (be sure to check out the comments).
I suggest you read the story here before continuing, most of my comments are directed toward the video you can see in the screenshot to the left labeled ”Fighting Addiction with a Pill”.
It is in this video where we see CBS News contributor Dr. Sanjay Gupta talk about prescription drug addicts who see themselves as different from your common street addict. A very true statement indeed, but unfortunately the good doctor has been snookered by one of the oldest addiction tricks in the book because we all saw ourselves different form the rest of the “gutter rats”! I was bipolar, at least she wasn’t a crack addict, and he drinks expensive alcohol, and we all have chemical imbalances… Dr. Gupta, every addict thinks they are somehow unique.
Another statement made in the story I take great issue with is putting a positive spin on the fact that this drug is available in a take home pill form that can be prescribed by any doctor.
Unlike methadone, Suboxone can be prescribed by any doctor, even a family physician, so treatment for addicts can now be convenient and discreet.
Click "Read more" to continue...
In my opinion, the decision to market and distribute this drug through ordinary doctors is being pushed by the pharmaceutical company to increase sales instead of recovery. Giving an addict a bottle of pills to self medicate their addiction is just asking for trouble. Lets face the facts, one (of many) reason many of these people are addicts is because the doctors that loaded them up with pain med scripts didn’t have a clue about addictions… and still don’t! So what makes them any more qualified to deal with the addictions with this new drug?
Now don’t get me wrong, I still favor the use of suboxone as a treatment tool in the proper environment but I am little bit concerned about this “miracle drug” label. Seems to me that was the same thing they were saying about Oxycontin when it was released. I do not want to see the market flooded with a pill that neither patients nor the doctors fully understand. It could hinder the recovery community with a misinformation issue (examples here and here) we will have to spend the next decade trying to explain.
Suboxone and prescription drugs are not the problem in our society, it is instead the belief that doctors can cure whatever ails us by writing a prescription and sending us on our way. There is nothing discrete or convenient about a drug addiction and acting like we can treat it this way is just asking for trouble.
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Interesting stuff, and the reporter sounds way off track. I know some folks who have had a lot of success with suboxone, but I agree with you that without recovery, the suboxone, the methadone, a lobotomy...nothing is going to work.
I just hope that it will be offered in a manner that does more good than harm both to those that need it and concerning the public's often skewed perception.
I also agree that when used in conjunction with a recovery program Suboxone can do wonders to help someone beat their physical addiction.
It just seems that in my state the arrests involving illegally obtained Suboxone is growing. I can tell you first hand that I have bought Suboxone illegally from someone who's doctor wrote them a prescription to "cure their addiction".
Right there you see that giving an addict a bottle of pills is not really the best idea. In some cases they will either abuse the Suboxone themselves or trade it for what they really want...their drug of choice.
erinsav
http://www.whatwinnersdo.com
medically assisted recovery program (including methadone) a black eye as far as the public is concerned and makes it harder to get these programs accepted.
I have a few things to bring up about suboxone ..I have been on the medicine for about a year and it has been the best life saver that I have ever had .. I was doing everything for years and been in many rehabs (8 in fact) .. Nothing would take ... I tried aa/sa/na and still nothing .. but when I take my suboxone (mixed with the antagonist naloxone) i feel that my life has been saved and I have had NO slips or relapses ... I also have quit drinking and continued to stop smoking.. Having a supportive family and an addiction specialized doctor helps immensley also.... The one misconception is that NOT all doctors can prescribe it and people did some research they would see that only certain doctors can prescribe and have to follow rules (certain amount of patients, dispensing rules etc...
I am currently forty and am celebrating my first year in a few weeks and have been using for over 25 years ..
As you can tell, I am an advocate of suboxone. My worry is that if the public and medical community is not educated on the realities of addiction... that yet another tool of recovery will be stigmatized through misinformation and unregulated use.
yep,congrats john,well done!*!*.im 2 yrs clean myself almost.-been on subox 2 yrs,doing therapy,no n.a meetings-but have friends frm the group.its a miracle considering i was a chronic recidivist,often relasping over 20 yrs.suboxone isnt the ideal outcome but survival wise, it was for me! although tis important the doctors encourage pple to reduce of it (unless prescribed for physical pain) after 1-2 years i feel ,to give ones body a break frm such opiate medication.(side affects i.e constipation and cavaties-the sublingual dosage gives me bad decay on gum line) .u can go back on it if not coping.i cant wait to give my body a rest. thks,cath.
I am 23 years old and started abusing pain killers two years ago. I was first prescribed them after having a tooth pulled (Vicodin 7.5/750). I just got a new job working as a line cook and just had a new baby. Life got very hectic, but I realized when I took the Vicodin I could go to work, come home take care of the baby and not have one stressful moment. My girlfriend would go out on the weekends saying that work was my break. I started going to the doctor more and more saying I had back pain to get more pain killers. A year ago I moved out and got joint custody of my son. I was off of pain killers for 2 months and then right back on them because another tooth got pulled. The doctor gave me massive amounts of Vicodin. When they ran out I had no clue about withdrawl from pain killers. I called and told him that I wasn't feeling good and I think its because of the pain killers and not being weened off them. He told me that I probably had the flu. He didn't want to take responsibility for me now feeling like crap for all the meds he put me on. Because I felt so sick I started getting them off the street and was introduced to Oxycontin. When i first tried that I was hooked. I had never felt better in my life. My tolerance kept growing and growing to the point of 3 oxy 80's a day. I never wanted to do heroin because I saw my sister go through that and nevermore my whole family has addiction problems. My mother is addicted to alcohol, my sister is addicted to heroin, and my father who I haven't seen since I was 9 was addicted to crack, heroin, and alcohol. Before Christmas I couldn't get anything and was having massive wd. I had a friend who told me about this thing called suboxone and gave me a quarter of one and told me to dissolve it under my tongue. I felt so much better and cleaned up my act with that real fast. The only problem I had was the cravings I still had for an oxy. Anyone addicted to pain pills will tell you that you can go about your day and no one will notice that you are on anything. Anyways the suboxone has done wonders for me, but I dont have health insurance so I can't go to a doctor to get on them. They are 15 dollars on the street where I live, but it beats buying an OC 80 for 70 dollars on the street. Pain killers have made me lose my life and when I am not on them I can't associate with anyone because I get really bad anxiety and I get really depressed. Suboxone is a life saver I just need the professional help to get off of OC's. I never thought I would be that person, but sometimes I can't get suboxone so I have to use. 3/4 of me wants to get clean to have my life back and a 1/4 is scared. I don't even get a euphoric high off of OC's anymore but they still make me feel good. Suboxone is awesome and I would definately tell anyone dealing with issues for pain pills that it works. I just don't know how to get help with no money and no health insurance. If I don't have anything I can't go to work because I am too sick, so I have lost 2 jobs in 2 months. Thank god I have a good girlfriend who knows what I am going through and helps me though it. I just don't have an outlet.
Some states do have resources available but regardless, when the time comes to start weaning off the suboxone it will be painful. And most people are not successful dealing with this without the help of a support group, 12 step program, or treatment.
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