Fentanyl again is proving to be a serious public safety crisis with a rash of overdoses in the north Sound.The clinic plans to treat patients using methadone, a drug that reduces or eliminates withdrawal symptoms, keeps opioid users from getting high and cuts their cravings.
Dosing rooms at the clinic are where patients undergo medically supervised withdrawal and maintenance. At first, patients must return daily for treatment. The clinic also offers case managers and use disorder counselors on site. "Coming out of this addiction is like climbing Mount Everest without tools," Napeahi said. "We have to give them the ice pick and teach them to not look at the mountain and look at where they are at right now."Napeahi says it's a place she dreams patients can find what’s been missing for too long – a reason for hope and a life with purpose.," she said. "The only tool we have left is to educate them, [tell them] you don’t have to go down this road.
And what happens when a user runs out of medication? Has their addiction actually been treated? How can swapping one big pharma drug for another be considered a viable and sustainable treatment?