North Carolina Opioid Initiatives Overlook Medication-Assisted Treatment

Addiction recovery advocates say that money allocated to help addicted persons find recovery overlooks Medication-Assisted Treatment and gives resources to unproven drug treatment methods. While the pandemic has raged in the past year, nearly 3600 lives have been lost to addiction. Resources have been slim. And the state has a new influx of money from opioid lawsuit settlements that have been directed to help with recovery programs.

Money Going to Rehabs Without MAT

Recently, North Carolina announced that 10 million dollars would be allocated to the 82-bed drug addiction rehab facility created by Greater Life National Church. The announcement took addiction recovery experts by surprise. In addition, the news could find no evidence that the church employed anyone with experience in addiction treatment.

Medication-Assisted Treatment is considered the gold standard of opioid addiction management. However, like the Great National Church project, much of the money goes to institutions that don’t offer these science-backed treatment methods.

Accessibility Is Key To Recovery

Sadly, while MAT is offered and available throughout the United States, there is little access for the people who need it most. In addition, many treatment centers don’t understand the mechanics of MAT or feel it is a gateway to returning to addiction. However, the FDA has said that MAT is one of the most effective treatment options available alongside treatment or therapy. Addiction is a disease of the brain, and MAT is one of the most effective ways to manage it.

Availability is key. In North Carolina, indigent patients often have trouble getting appointments to go to their treatment centers and have the drugs administered. Insurance will pay for it, but many people rely on Medicaid, which means there may be a long waitlist for people who want to join a program.

MAT can be a life-altering treatment that can help people with opioid use disorder reclaim their lives. While it may be difficult to access, we do our best to help anyone in North Carolina get the help they need.

Getting Help for Addiction With MAT

We offer telemedicine sessions to anyone in North Carolina, and we can oversee your prescription for MAT. Do you or somebody you love need help? We’re here to answer your questions. We provide compassionate, respectful, and affordable addiction treatment to patients throughout North Carolina. Please give us a call at 910-295-7426.