Access to addiction treatment crucial during a pandemic

There is no getting around it: the last three months have been hard for all of us. From an economy in tatters, to parents and children stuck at home, to workplaces and schools alike moving online, we are all doing our best to adapt.

But for those in recovery, the challenges only start there. Social distancing increases an already palpable sense of isolation. So many of the relationships we depend on for sobriety are cut off. Meanwhile, we are seeing services curbed for everything from housing programs and shelters to transportation to clinics to receive treatment.

It reminds us that before there was a pandemic across the globe there was an epidemic here at home – of addiction to opioids, alcohol, and other substances of abuse. Much like COVID-19, no family has been spared from this epidemic, no one immune to the pain and suffering it causes. Our challenge now is to make sure that those in recovery — particularly its earliest stages — have access to the treatment and services they need to stay safe and healthy.

“Treatment” means different things to different people facing different challenges and at different stages of recovery. For some it means medication-assisted treatment (MAT) — which is to say, medicines that reduce the cravings for opiates: Methadone, Suboxone, Vivitrol (injectable naltrexone). Methadone and Suboxone (buprenorphine) are opiate replacement therapies and require daily or frequent visits. Naltrexone is an opiate blocker and can be administered daily in pill form

‘It reminds us that before there was a pandemic across the globe there was an epidemic here at home – of addiction to opioids, alcohol, and other substances of abuse.’

or a once monthly injection.

We’ve already seen stories about long lines outside methadone or buprenorphine clinics and the challenges of providing take-home medication. Whenever possible, we need to make sure those in recovery can access these vital medicines in a way consistent with their provider’s treatment regimen without putting themselves or their providers unnecessarily at risk.

Lowell General Hospital (LGH) has been on the forefront of responding to the opiate epidemic. A grant obtained through the Health Policy Commission and supplemented by LGH supports a Bridge Clinic that serves anybody seeking treatment for substance use disorder regardless of insurance coverage.

Throughout the pandemic the LGH Bridge Clinic continues to provide remote services and has been able to continue to make sure patients do not go without their monthly Vivitrol injection. They are able to do so through access to an innovative Mobile Integrated Health Program initiated by LGH to serve patients in the community.

Substance abuse treatment also means social and mental health – support that we all know is critical to long-term well-being and health. The anxiety of the moment we all feel is compounded by isolation which is a trigger for those with substance use disorders. In the midst of a quarantine, in-person group meetings have increasingly moved online – and while remote video call services such as Zoom have taken off, not everyone has access who needs them. And in some cases, they do not provide the kind of social connection many have come to depend on.

Ultimately, increasing access to treatment services makes sense. We know these types of traumas cause spikes in usage and hospitalizations alike. A report published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the wake of Hurricane Katrina found that the hospitalization rate for alcohol use increased by more than a third following the storm. At a time such as this pandemic crisis, we need our support systems in place and strong for men, women and families who need our help and need it now.

Whether it’s ensuring providers and patients have access to the full spectrum of MAT options and the benefits of each or increasing resources for online social and mental health support, let’s make sure addiction treatment for those in need doesn’t become one more victim of this pandemic. Let’s do what it takes.