Suboxone treatment effective, practical

I respond to the Oct. 13 Dispatch editorial “Shady clinics add to hell of opioids” I have successfully treated hundreds of patients with Suboxone in the past five years.

Most people do not realize that the number of patients a physician can treat is regulated at the federal level. Therefore, because the medication has been rationed, demand has exceeded the supply.

Physicians have accepted numerous forms of reimbursement: private insurance, Medicare/Medicaid, etc. Patients without health-care coverage do not have access to treatment, unless they pay cash. If patients and/or their families want to pay cash, what is wrong with that?

A common misconception is that Suboxone has a therapeutic profile similar to that of heroin and prescription opioids. However, there is one big difference: The active ingredient in Suboxone does not induce euphoria.

The intent of Suboxone treatment is to reduce cravings and withdrawal symptoms so patients can participate in behavioral therapy toward the goal of long-term abstinence. The active ingredient exhibits a “ceiling effect” that makes overdosing nearly impossible, and the side effects are miniscule.

The vast majority of physicians prescribe Suboxone in an ethical and effective manner. Although a few use it unethically, let’s not throw the baby out with the bathwater.

It behooves The Dispatch to report on the thousands of patients who have been helped by it.

Dr. T. Paul Evans Upper Arlington