Medication Assistant Treatment Research Paper

The topic of Narcan is a relatively new concept, since it has only been easily obtainable in the past few years. The major debate on Narcan use is will it become a bigger issue the it fixes. Governor Tom Wolf in April made it public that all state police cars will have doses of the life-saving drug; Narcan (Murrysville). Supports, of this drug look at the fact that is has been credited with saving around one thousand people across the state (Murrysville). Furthermore, that there have been more than two thousand overdoses deaths, in Allegheny County since 2008; and that Narcan would have given those people a better chance to live. Equally important, is the negative-side of Narcan. Tom Wolf in February, made it public knowledge that free doses of Narcan, will be given to schools that want it. Those who believe Narcan will become detrimental to the fight against this epidemic have good reason to. Such as, comments from Dr. Neil Capretto who is the medical director at Gateway Rehabilitation Center; has talked before about his teenaged patients, that would use heroin or other opioids in the middle of school (Pennsylvania). If Narcan, is so accessible like in schools, police cars, and can be bought for personal use, this could allow people to push the limits on using these drugs. Also, by allowing it to used whenever is going to be like adding gasoline to a flame, it will speed the

From teenagers to adults, many are suffering with an opioid addiction. The opioid crisis that has struck, has taken a significantly large amount of lives. There were about “...50,000 [ opioid ] overdose deaths...in 2015-roughly equivalent to the number of Americans lost in the Vietnam War”(Price). All these friends and family members are dying because of something that can be controlled and even avoided. Although there are some who believe that the programs that are enacted to help with this sort of addiction are very effective, the truth is they are not as effective as people let on to believe. There should be a more enforced and regulated limit for those with a stronger prescription drug in order to lower the overdose count, over prescription from doctors, and pill shopping.

There is no question that the alarming rate of deaths related to opioid overdose needs to be addressed in this county, but the way to solve the problem seems to remain a trial and error approach at this point. A patient is injured, undergoes surgery, experiences normal wear and tear on a hip, knee or back and has to live with that pain for the rest of their life or take a narcotic pain medication in order to improve their quality of life and at least be able to move. The above patients are what narcotic pain medications were created for, a population of people that use narcotic pain medications for fun is what is creating a problem. Narcotics are addictive to both populations, however taking the narcotic for euphoric reasons is not the intention of the prescription that the physician is writing. The healthcare system needs to find a way to continue to provide patients that experience chronic pain with the narcotics that work for them while attempting to ensure the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) doesn’t have to worry about a flood of pain pills hitting the streets by granting access to the population with a substance abuse problem.

However, this step isn't necessarily to cure the epidemic, but rather to keep it from becoming more catastrophic. This drug is not to be used as away of getting people to stop using opioids in anyway, but rather just keep them from dieing when they do use opioids. Then those who have overdosed can go get help from the types of programs previously mentioned. This is the most important step because it needs to be put into action immediately. If this step takes as long as predicted then the epidemic will only be getting worse and far too many lives will be taken away yet again by opioids. Although, “While DuPage County is the only county currently using intranasal naloxone, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will Counties are set to implement plans to use both forms of naloxone in the coming months” (Kirk launches suburban anti-heroin task force 1 death every 3 days on average since 2012; using narcan during an overdose was 100% effective in Dupage County, States News

As previously discussed, the program the author would choose to evaluate is MAT treatment programs. This population consists of individuals that have been diagnosed with opiate use disorder, and receive opiate-substitution medications, such as Methadone or Suboxone. These program evaluations would be consumer-centered, performed in the clinics they receive services. Interested stakeholders would include the treatment center where the participants receive services, as well as other MAT service providers. Additionally, the funding sources for these individuals and program centers, such as county, state, and federal agencies, along with medical insurers, would also gain value from the program evaluation research.

There are a variety of treatment modalities, both conservative and emerging, that clinicians, therapists, and doctors use to treat heroin and opioid dependence. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), motivational interviewing (MI), 12 step programs, and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) are just a few that have been used in the past, and even today, in the treatment of substance dependence. Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) is yet another form of therapy; particularly for opioid and heroin dependence, that has been around for decades. However, it has recently begun to spark interest and controversy in light of the growing epidemic.

Methadone is a synthetic opioid drug which was first used in World War II for the treatment of pain. Since then, methadone has become a popular choice for treating those addicted to other opioid drugs such as heroin, oxycodone, morphine, and hydrocodone. It is used to reduce dependency and the treatment should help them become clean. Even though, the policy of giving methadone to drug addicts is not a cure, it is a good one. Fortunately, the Methadone Maintenance Treatment (MMT) is a reliable way for those with an opioid addiction to stop and not restart the use of opioids. For many, methadone treatment provides an opportunity to regain balance in both lifestyle and priorities. (“Opiate Addiction and Treatment Resource”). Everyone deserves

Methadone has been used since the late 1960s to treat heroin addictions. Methadone is a synthetic opioid that is highly addictive and is harder to withdraw from than heroin. Despite 50 years of experience and widespread acceptance by addiction specialists and health agencies, Methadone Maintenance Treatment (MMT) has sometimes been publicly controversial in the U.S. and other countries. MMT is a program in which addicted individuals receive daily doses of methadone as part of a broad, multicomponent treatment plan (Methadone Maintence Treatment, 2002). Critics argue that methadone doesn’t actually help heroin addicts, but just replaces heroin with an equally addictive methadone (Mason, 2013). From my perspective, methadone should not be given to heroin addicts because it does not

Naloxone is an FDA approved overdose reversal medication. Naloxone is a prescription medication that when administered to an individual experiencing an opioid-related overdose restores the individual to consciousness and normal breathing (NAMSDL.org, 2016). Naloxone is always effective when administered correctly (NAMSDL.org, 2016). Since 2000, the drug overdose rate involving opioids has increased 200% (NAMSDL.org, 2016). Treatment centers, physicians and first responders in the rural areas of the United States need more access to naloxone to prevent opioid-related overdose deaths. The U.S Surgeon General Vivek Murthy stated, “People find themselves in overdose situations don’t have to lose their lives because family members or emergency responders don’t have access to the reversal drug naloxone” (Wolf, 2016). Expanding access to rural areas can save lives and prevent deaths.

There are three predominate forms of Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) that have proven effective in combating opioid use disorder. Methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone have all shown to be effective in the treatment of substance use. When prescribed and monitored properly, MAT has been shown to reduce illicit drug use and reduce the rate of accidental overdose. However, while as many as 2.5 million people are suffering from substance use disorder, less than 40% have access to MAT

The apparel requirements for a medical assistant are scrubs and closed toed shoes. “The majority of medical assistant positions require you to wear scrubs” (Career Gear). Scrubs are loose fitting, the top is short sleeved and the pants have drawstrings to adjust at the waist. Scrubs are required in this field because they are comfortable and are professional looking. Wearing scrubs as a uniform helps patients identify you at the workplace and can help employees feel equal to one another. “The most important aspects of footwear for medical assistants are comfort and safety” (Career Gear). Medical assistants are usually on their feet all day so it is important for them to wear comfortable shoes to avoid future back and plantar issues. Safety

The opioid epidemic has been the worst thing that has happened to our community or our country as a whole, much of which might have be prevented if doctor’s were not so quick to prescribe prescription after prescription of opioids on to their patients. According to Nora D. Volkow, Director, of the NIDA, The Federal government has provided restrictions on the over use of prescription medications and because individuals have developed dependence on the prescription opioids they resort to obtaining them illegally, and in some cases they are resorting to heroin for it is cheaper and easier to obtain (NIDA). Yes, these individuals have a choice to take them, and for a while they are alright, although as seen above the continued use can cause dependence which will cause withdrawal if they do not have these medications leading many to illegally obtaining and using these drugs. This is one reason one fights to see more treatment centers people can go, more harm reduction therapies that are going to help them become clean and live lives that are functional and socially

Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) are focusing on five different things to change this: improving access to treatment and recovery services, promoting use of overdose-reversing drugs, strengthening our understanding of the epidemic through better public health surveillance, providing support for cutting-edge research on pain and addiction, and lastly, advancing better practices for pain management.(National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2018, Opioid Overdose Crisis, P5.). There is no way to completely stop the opioid crisis but if we can make the numbers of people who overdose a year, then we can slowly make a huge change in the world of opioids. If these prescription drugs become more limited to people then they won't have access to buy off the streets or steal

Imagine obtaining a serious injury and being given medicine to kill the pain so you can heal. Imagine that pain killer taking over your life and becoming an addiction that you will feed at any cost. Imagine stealing, lying, giving up every possession of yours and losing the support of your family and friends just so you can achieve a temporary feeling of euphoria that needs to be tended to frequently in order to maintain the euphoric feeling. This is a reality some Americans have to deal with on a daily basis. No family in America is entirely immune from feeling the pain caused by the opioid epidemic. The main solution proposed by organizations attempting to end the epidemic is the establishment and increased accessibility to rehabilitation centers. If rehabilitation centers helped every individual and ensured that the individual would never go back to their former ways, this would be a great idea. When individuals experiment with these dangerous substances knowing they may very well die, there is no fear because they know that if they are in a public place and overdose the chances of them being revived is high. If one can feel euphoria, not be in pain and far, there is no consequence for that person to connect with this toxic behavior.As a nation, there needs to be a reevaluation of procedures involving the revival of overdose patients. Consequently, the purpose of constantly reviving someone that has no desire to change their toxic lifestyle seems ridiculous, as does using

The situation that was chosen for this pharmacological intervention assignment is the case of Patient X, a 35 year-old male with a history of recurrent sigmoid diverticulitis who has opted for elective laparoscopic sigmoid hemicolectomy. In conjunction with his surgery, he will be starting a regimen of alvimopan (Entereg) to prevent the development of postoperative ileus. His situation fits into the perioperative clinical focus of nursing practice because the dosing recommendations for alvimopan include beginning the first dose preoperatively, 30 minutes to 5 hours prior to surgery (Erwele, 2008). This assignment will include an assessment of the patient, the establishment of a broad behavioral outcome and specific behavioral objectives