Articles

As the national overdose crisis continues to take lives, a lack of access to opioid use disorder medications continues. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) examine the challenge in a joint study. The NIH and the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, a part of the CDC, present the data from 2021, the latest year available for examination. In 2021, only one in five people with addiction problems that involve opioids received recovery medications. Indeed, despite saving lives, MAT Services remain the exception and not the rule.

As a MAT Services and Medications for Addiction Treatment provider, Tarzana Treatment Centers (TTC) is a historical provider of opioid use disorder medications. Providing MAT services for both adults and youth, TTC knows the positive impact of these medications. Hence, a question that needs to be asked is why are these services not more available elsewhere? Indeed, why are most people unable to easily access MAT services when the stakes are so high?

Accessing Opioid Use Disorder Medications

It is essential to note that TTC’s perspective aligns with Dr. Nora Volkow, the Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). According to Dr. Volkow, “Medications for opioid use disorder are safe and effective. They help sustain recovery and prevent overdose deaths. Failing to use safe and lifesaving medications is devastating for people denied evidence-based care. What’s more, it perpetuates opioid use disorder, prolongs the overdose crisis, and exacerbates health disparities in communities across the country.”

Therefore, the lack of greater access to opioid use disorder medications does not make sense when TTC has seen so many benefits. The findings in JAMA Network Open highlight that evidence-based medicines for people with opioid use disorder – including buprenorphine, methadone, and naltrexone – are widely underused. Moreover, these medications are available, and there is no shortage. Unlike most medications, where the supply does not meet the demand, the problem is not the supply with MAT. Instead, the problem is an apparent refusal by too many medical professionals to prescribe these lifesaving resources.

Opioid Use Disorder Medications = Evidence-Based Practices

Without any doubt, opioid use disorder medications save lives. Based on evidence-based practices, MAT services work in practice. When given to patients in recovery settings, they improve success rates that lead to sustainable sobriety. However, researchers found that only 36% of people with OUD received any substance use treatment in 2021. Moreover, only 22% were able to access opioid use disorder medications.

Moving forward, the best way to address the national addiction crisis is by providing medications for addiction treatment. Thus, TTC will continue to lead the way on the front lines, prioritizing the provision of MAT services. To learn more about opioid use disorder, please take the first step and contact us today.