Attitudes about medicated assisted treatment (MAT)amongst people

The views about MAT should be from patients, government personnel , counselors etc. Just different views all formed in one paper. This is a mock research study

ANSWER

Medication-Assisted Treatment

Medication-assisted treatment is a type of treatment used on people with opioid use disorder. It involves the use of medication, counseling, and behavioral therapies. MAT is an empirically supported method that is used to treat people suffering from the physiological symptoms of opioid addiction. The treatment is meant to ease withdrawal and allow the [person to adjust back to society (National Institute of Drug Abuse, 2016). Some doctors support the treatment method, while others think that it is replacing one opioid with another. Opioid use disorder is a serious and complex condition that affects over 2.5 million Americans (National Institute of Drug Abuse, 2016). Opioids are analgesic medications that include fentanyl, morphine, and oxycodone. Doctors usually use these to treat people with chronic pain. Methadone and buprenorphine, also in the same class as opioids, are used in Evidence-based practice to treat addiction to opioids. The prolonged use of opioids or addiction makes it hard to discontinue the use, which leads to patients getting addicted.

The decline in life expectancy in the US since 1993 has been attributed partly to deaths from overdoses, alcoholism, and suicide. In 2016 alone, the US experienced 42,249 deaths from opioid overdose (Spivey, 2021). The development of medication-assisted treatment for opioid-addicted patients has created space for controversies ad debates concerning the credibility of the method. Doctors, nurses, patients, and even social workers have varying experiences with the programs, which gives space for the debate on the usefulness of the program. Social workers, for instance, are largely involved in the lives of their clients. According to a study carried out on the attitudes on the opinions of social workers towards MAT for OUD, being biased towards MAT could create ethical dilemmas (Spivey, 2021). It is the ethical responsibility of social workers to want their clients to change and advocate for their change and reduce harm.

For one to understand MAT, they first have to understand what heroin does to the brain and body. Opiates cross the blood-brain barrier and attach to the receptors in the brain cells (Sheridan, 2017). The attachment triggers neurotransmitters and brain activity which produces the high which is felt under the influence of opioids. This brain activity is what contributes to physiological dependence. MAT works in one of two ways. Opiates are given to the patient, which functions in the same way but is absorbed in the blood and lasts longer, which starves the withdrawal and breaks the link between using the drug and feeling high immediately (Sheridan, 2017). Doctors can also choose to use a non-opioid that sits on the same receptors such that if someone relapses, they will not experience the high. A relapse can, however, have fatal consequences.

The fact that another is replacing one drug sounds wrong, but some doctors disagree. They think of it from the perspective that one drug that is dangerous and could kill the person is being replaced with one that can allow the same person to go back to their normal life. The argument is that what is good for one person might not be good for the next, but according to data, MAT is effective for the general population, although it does not mean it will be effective for everybody (Sheridan, 2017). The effectiveness of the treatment is dependent on their life and addiction. MAT shows that patients have better outcomes with the treatment than without it. The treatment reduces the relapse and also prevents infectious diseases such as HIV from sharing needles. The treatment also prevents people from overdosing.

According to Jeff Born, an opioid addict who was addicted after he was prescribed pain medications after an accident, the journey towards getting clean with the help of MAT has not been easy. The first step for him after he was admitted to the MAT program was a prescription of Methadone to help him overcome the opioid cravings. He had first to undergo detox, which helped minimize his withdrawal. However, it did not happen as fast as he thought, as it took him three months to find the right dose that would help him deal with his cravings. He first started with 5mgs of Methadone every two weeks. Currently, he takes 108gs of Methadone daily. Methadone, however, only works on physical dependence, and therefore behavioral therapy is needed to address the addictive thinking. This requires setting goals with the patient and having them rebuild relationships with family and friends. According to Harshal Kirane, MD of addiction services at Staten Island university hospital, although MAT does not work for all patients, it is the best option available currently. It must be considered an option. The treatment can come with side effects like any other treatment until one finds a stable dose for themselves. MAT is, however, not usually enough for all patients, which leads to them looking for other complementary therapies.

According to Born, MAT gave him another chance at life. He was addicted to heroin for almost two years, and although he tried to get off by himself, he was not successful. Born is not sure what his life would have been without the medication (Black, 2019). According to him, MAT is effective in overcoming addiction and keeping chronic pain at bay. From his experience, he encourages other people who have problems with addiction to seek help.

The US government declared a public health emergency around opioid misuse in 2017. Since then, the FDA has been pushing for the coverage and training of doctors in MAT. The treatment has not reached most of the patients suffering from opioid addiction because doctors do not have information on MAT (Black, 2019). The SUPPORT Act, which was signed into law in 2018, called for the enhancement of the treatment and prevention of opioid addiction in healthcare within Medicare and Medicaid. The coverage should cover MAT payments and increase the number of patients a doctor can treat with MAT. Initially, a doctor could only treat 30 patients within the same period. The government cares about the wellbeing of its citizens, and the opioid epidemic must be dealt with to prevent the loss of lives.

Drug addiction and death from overdose have been problems facing the US for a long time now. The epidemic has become so widespread that it requires immediate attention. MAT might not work for all patients, and some doctors might still insist on abstinence from drugs, but the opioid epidemic needs to be addressed, and any method that can work towards reducing addiction and the number of people overdosing or getting infections from shared needles looks plausible. MAT might not work for everybody, but it works for most of the population and is thus an accepted method of controlling the opioid epidemic. The treatment program might not work on its own on the patient but paired with other forms of therapies, it could help rid the country of the scourge.

References

Black, R. (2019). After Opioid Addiction: What it’s like to go through Medication-Assisted Treatment. https://www.practicalpainmanagement.com/patient/treatments/medication-assisted-treatment/after-opioid-addiction-what-it-go-through

National Institute of Drug Abuse. (2016). Effective Treatments for Opioid Addiction. https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/effective-treatments-opioid-addiction

Sheridan, K. (2017). How effective is medication-assisted treatment for addiction? Here’s the science. https://www.statnews.com/2017/05/15/medication-assisted-treatment-what-we-know/

Spivey, W.T. (2021). Social Workers’ Attitudes toward Medication-Assisted Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=11817&context=dissertations