One of the Best Tools to Manage the Opioid Crisis Already Exists
Undark MagazineAug 15, 2022
On Friday, the Biden administration announced a new plan to expand access to medication that treats substance use disorders, particularly opioid addiction, for pregnant women through federal court and health programs.
This is part of a larger push to address the US drug crisis that reportedly causes more than 100k deaths annually.
This is an important step forward to address the ongoing opioid crisis in the US and help protect some of the most vulnerable people in society: pregnant women and their children. The use of medications like buprenorphine and methadone is an evidence-based opioid addiction treatment and a scientifically proven way to reduce drug dependency and save lives. We know these medications work, and we have a duty to make them universally available.
A substance-replacement approach to drug addiction is not the solution. Drugs like buprenorphine and methadone are opioids themselves — switching one opioid for another, albeit prescribed, only serves to encourage ongoing drug use. It's not a long-term or sustainable answer to drug addiction, which is why relapse is so common. We have to do better for pregnant women and their future children by supporting them through detox and providing the support they need to abstain from drugs going forward.