By CONRAD WILSON/Oregon Public Broadcasting
Oregon health officials agreed to expand treatment for opioids using money from national settlements with drugmakers and distributors such as Purdue, CVS and Johnson & Johnson for their role in fueling the opioid epidemic.
Oregon’s Opioid Settlement Board approved $13 million for mobile units, as well as brick and mortar facilities, that will provide access to methadone in dedicated parts of the state where that kind of medication-assisted treatment is sparse.
Methadone is a controlled substance that most people have to take daily at a clinic licensed by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency. That has limited access to the drug, especially in rural Oregon.
Around $3.9 million will be allocated to a new treatment program serving Oregon City, another in rural Clackamas County and another serving Multnomah County. The programs could be mobile or non-mobile treatment options.
Another $9.1 million is allocated for programs in Klamath County, another in the Columbia River Gorge, one in eastern Lane County, two along the coast that have yet to be identified, and two in northeastern Oregon.
The board also approved $250,000 for Oregon Health & Sciences University to provide advice to local jails that want to set up opioid treatment programs.
Over the course of the next 18 years, the state is set to receive some $600 million as part of legal settlements reached with pharmacies and opioid manufacturers.
I don’t think we need another drug rehab unless they can use some other means other than methadone to alleviate the withdrawals from Heroin. I would like to see these drug rehabs able to use the different methods that the very expensive rehabs use, they apparently have had success. They were trying to get something started in Kentucky that has been extremely successful. Methadone does not work and never has so why keep giving it to them, they use with it or with out it and the withdrawals are to severe to just quit. Quitting Methadone is harder than quitting Heroin so that is not the answer. There is help, unfortunately some don’t want it, but for those that do, it’s sad that it cost 10,000 to get them help, who has that? Not many and certainly not the ones wanting help. It all starts with wanting a different life, willingness, I think if someone really wants help we should be able to help them with something that actually works. Treatment Centers alone with counselors are definitely not the answer.