Program explores opioid abuse

TORRINGTON — The latest available statistics show that 2017 was the worst year ever for drug overdose deaths in the state of Connecticut as well as the entire country. Community Health and Wellness Center of Greater Torrington is addressing the opioid epidemic, which is considered the worst public health crisis in American history.

CHWC initiated Medicated-Assisted Treatment services in 2017. The program offers a holistic, “whole patient” approach to the treatment of substance abuse disorders, by incorporating the use of FDA-approved medications in combination with counseling, behavioral therapies, and primary health care.

“We made the decision to offer MAT services to assist with access to treatment in an area where the opioid addiction and deaths related to overdoses has reached epidemic levels,” said Joanne Borduas, chief executive officer of CHWC. “We went into the program with a strong foundation and knowledge base, and started building it by hiring Katrin ‘Kat’ Moskowitz, an APRN who had her DATA 2000 Waiver in place, which is a MAT requirement. By October we

had put together a comprehensive program with evidenced-based protocols for patients who desired treatment from substance abuse.” The program now has more than 100 patients enrolled, and CHWC has added two more providers who are waivered to provide MAT.

“Our MAT program offers prescription medications, which can help individuals stay clean and sober, as well as counseling and other support for successfully navigating the path to recovery,” says Moskowitz, who is the assistant clinical director of medical services at CHWC and member of the Litchfield County Opiate Task Force. “We address not only the physical aspects of addiction but also the emotional ‘triggers’ that underlie drug dependency.”

Moskowitz presented “The Opiate Epidemic and our Community,” Jan. 10 at the Torrington Library. During her discussion, she provided an overview of how the opiate epidemic has taken a grip within Litchfield County, shared recent statistics, and explain how Medication Assisted Treatment options can help. The presentation was followed by a lively question and answer discussion.

Moskowitz said she first discovered how widespread

opioid dependency is in our community when she worked in the emergency room at Charlotte Hungerford Hospital.

“We saw a lot of overdose cases come through the door,” she said. “It was a real eye opener, and that’s when I decided to dedicate myself to helping individuals who are struggling with addiction.”

“There are a lot of false ideas and stereotypes about drug addicts,” said Moskowitz. “Contrary to popular belief, most addicts are not young criminals and derelicts. Most of our patients became addicted to the opioid medications they were prescribed for treating pain issues resulting from unfortunate events, such as accidents and surgeries. The majority are male, and range in age from 19 to over 60. Our largest MAT patient segment is between the age of 30 to 39, the second largest demographic 40 to 49, and the third 50 to 59.”

Opioids affect receptors in the brain, relieving pain and also creating a feeling of happiness and wellbeing. They are highly addictive, and an individual can become physically dependent on them in less than a week.

Because of the way opioids affect the brain, it takes an increasingly higher dosage for an individual to experience the same “high” they did when they first started taking the drug. “This is known as ‘chasing

the dragon,’” Moskowitz said. Eventually a prescription may not be renewed or becomes too expensive to afford, and so the individual turns to heroin, which is less expensive.

Moskowitz said most drug overdoses are not necessarily caused by heroin alone, but by the synthetic opioid Fentanyl, which is stronger, stays in the body longer, and is responsible for an alarmingly high number of overdoses. “It is not uncommon for drug dealers to mix Fentanyl in with heroin. An addict may not be aware of this, and consequently overdoses.”

But heroin and Fentanyl are not singularly responsible for deaths. “When I was at the last National Prescription Drug Abuse and Heroin Summit in Atlanta, we learned that more than 22,000 Americans died from an overdose of prescription opioids last year,” Moskowitz said. “The pubic and the medical community need to be educated on the dangers of opioids and consider safer alternatives for treating pain issues.”

CHWC’s MAT Program primarily administers the drug Buprenorphine, branded under the names Subutex, Suboxone, and Sublocade. Compared with methadone, it produces less risk of overdose and withdrawal effects as well as a lower level of dependence. Suboxone reduces cravings by affecting the same receptors

in the brain that opioids do, but without the ’high,’ so it helps an individual stay clean and sober and live their life without being impaired or experiencing withdrawal symptoms.

“Eighty-five percent of our MAT patients are middle class working people who did not know they would become addicted to their Rx pain medications,” said Moskowitz. “They are everyday people who could be your neighbor, the bus driver, the firefighter, the waitress. They want the same thing most of us do —to live a good life, supporting ourselves and our families and being a responsible member of the community. Our MAT program helps patients live a happier, more fulfilling life free of addiction and full of possibilities.”

Moskowitz ended her presentation by stating that the community needs to become more educated about opioid addiction, and be supportive of programs such as MAT that are combatting the epidemic. “It’s here. It’s present. It’s happening,” she said. “We cannot afford to believe ‘It’s Not in My Back Yard.’ Because it is.”

To learn more about the Community Health & Wellness Center and the programs it offers, including the MAT program, visit http://www.chwctorr.org/ or call 860-489-0931 or 860238-4211.