The opioid misuse has become a major crisis for the US healthcare system as the number of drug abusers, especially adolescents, is steadily rising. In 2018, almost 10 million Americans aged twelve and above were estimated to misuse opioid drugs (“Opioid crisis fast facts,” 2019). Opioid drugs are dangerous in terms of dependence as people can become addicted to them from a single use. Moreover, sudden opioid withdrawal causes stress for the human body, which can potentially lead to a person’s death.
For safe withdrawal, scientists have invented agonist maintenance medications that give the human body the needed opioids without the effect on human consciousness. One of the most comprehensive programs of a kind is the Methadone Maintenance Treatment Program (MMTP), applied in 63 countries around the world (Julaeha, Rustamaji, & Priyatni, 2019). During the program, injective drug users are supposed to replace opioid drugs with methadone in order to reduce the body’s craving for the drug. It is also aimed at changing user’s behavior in society. (“Principles of drug addiction treatment: a research-based guide,” 2018). Today there is an ongoing discussion on the topic of whether such treatment is an efficient way to save the lives of drug users or a legitimate way to obtain opioids.
The answer to this question lies in the opioid withdrawal patterns, which do not allow people to simply give up consuming the drug as the dependence level is exceptionally high. Without agonist medication, the human body may undergo struggle incompatible with life. Although such a treatment does not fully reduce the abuser’s craving for the drug, it can be successfully combined with cognitive-behavioral therapy. Thus, maintenance programs are not exhaustive but the most effective way of opioid addiction treatment.
Drug-Based Medications
The 21st century has become the age of opioid epidemics for US residents. With more than 10 million opioid abusers, 90% of them misuse prescribed medications. The major reason behind these statistics lies in the fact that many effective medications, especially painkillers, consist of opioids that are able to reduce pain considerably. However, the opioid dose in the medication is calculated precisely not to cause dependence, and the slightest violation of these calculations may lead to addiction. One of the most widespread medications of a kind is Imodium, medicine aimed at treating diarrhea (Levinthal, 2014). Although the drug is not supposed to cross the blood-brain barrier, nowadays, Imodium abuse has become an extremely important matter. The reason is that the drug users have discovered that high doses of the medication produce the same effects as opioids (“Loperamide addiction and abuse,” 2019). As a result, the human body becomes so addicted to the substance that it then needs rehabilitation to go through a medication withdrawal.
The same behavioral pattern applies to other opioid-based medications like Imodium or OxyContin. While these drugs are only able to cause some positive effects on a certain health aspect, they are extremely dangerous in terms of drug dependence. Usually, people who use any painkillers tend to violate the dose regulations when they feel it is not enough. Once they do it with regular medicine, the implications may be invisible, but such a violation of drug-based medicine is sometimes unforgivable. Thus, the presence of opioid-based medicine in the healthcare system is, by all means, beneficial in terms of effectiveness. However, patients who are inclined to use such medications have to be well aware of all the treatment peculiarities to avoid the dangerous implications.
References
Julaeha, Rustamanji, & Priyatni, N. (2019). Patient satisfaction with Methadone Maintenance Treatment Program (MMTP) in MMTP service center. Scholars Academic Journals of Pharmacy, 8(11), 497-501.
Levinthal, C. F. (2014). Drugs, behavior, and modern society. London, UK: Pearson Education.
Loperamide addiction and abuse. (2019). Web.
Opioid crisis fast facts. (2019). Web.
Principles of drug addiction treatment: a research-based guide. (2018). Web.