A study highlighting a significant gap in care revealed that only 25% of residential treatment centers catering to teenagers offer the recommended medication for opioid addiction. That is approximately 1 in about every 4 residential treatment centers.
Researchers conducted an experiment where they pretended to be an aunt or uncle seeking help for a fictional 16-year-old who had survived a fentanyl overdose. They contacted various rehabilitation facilities in the United States and inquired about the availability of the treatment medication buprenorphine, also known by the brand name suboxone.
Out of the 160 facilities that specialized in teen care, only 39 confirmed offering buprenorphine. 100 facilities stated they didn’t provide it, and 21 were unsure.
In this study that was recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Dr. Todd Korthuis of Oregon Health and Science University in Portland and one of the co-authors stated, “As somebody who’s tried to promote the use of evidence-based treatments for addiction my whole career, it was jaw-dropping.”
Drug abuse among teens in the United States remains steady or is showing a decline. However, there’s an increase in fatal overdoses caused by fentanyl-contaminated drugs, which poses a potentially deadly consequence for young people who experiment with drugs.
A significant number of parents report enduring long and frustrating searches as they seek assistance for their children’s drug-related problems.
Tracy Swartley, a resident of suburban Portland, Oregon, expressed, “It’s such an overwhelming situation for a parent to be in.” Tracy’s 19-year-old son, an Eagle Scout, survived a fentanyl overdose and began taking buprenorphine during his time in a residential treatment program. She added, “You realize the choice you make is going to make a massive impact on the success of your child.”
Dr. Petros Levounis, an addiction psychiatrist and president of the American Psychiatric Association, emphasized that buprenorphine is a “life-saving medication.” Regarded as standard care, buprenorphine is the only approved medication for teenagers aged 16 and above who suffer from opioid use disorder. The medication helps to reduce cravings, which allows patients to start their journey towards recovery.
Although guidelines advocate the use of medication, backed by evidence indicating its efficacy in preventing overdose deaths, there’s no universal acceptance of drugs like buprenorphine as a treatment for addiction.
Some people perceive these medications as merely substituting one drug for another and believe that abstinence should be the primary approach to recovery. Furthermore, research shows that only around two-thirds of adult-focused rehab facilities include medication in their treatment plans.
The survey was conducted in 2022, before a new law took effect, eliminating the requirement for doctors to obtain a special waiver for prescribing the medication. Dr. Petros Levounis, who was not part of the study, suggested that this change could potentially enhance access to the medication. He also pointed out that residential care is not the sole option, and parents should initiate the process by seeking an evaluation from an addiction specialist.
During the study, the researchers, referred to as “secret shoppers,” contacted over 300 facilities listed on a government website that claimed to offer residential care for teenagers. Throughout their inquiries, the secret shoppers encountered various issues, such as wrong numbers, facilities exclusively catering to adults, and several centers that didn’t respond to their calls. The 160 facilities that participated in the study remained anonymous.
According to their research findings, the use of art, music, or horse therapy in youth rehabilitation facilities was just as common as the administration of buprenorphine.
According to Dr. Caroline King, an emergency medicine resident at Yale University in New Haven and co-author of the study, an average parent would have to make nine phone calls to locate a facility that offers the medicine to a 16-year-old.
According to Dr. Caroline King’s words, “These families have to do a lot of legwork.” She also acknowledged that “The “secret shopper” strategy may have missed some rehabs that provide the medication. But researchers also heard misinformation about buprenorphine.” During her calls, Dr. King pretended to be a concerned aunt.
Dr. Caroline King also recalled, “A lot of people told us crazy things. Like it’s the worst thing you could do for your kid. Don’t trust your doctor.”
Brendan Saloner, an addiction researcher at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, said, “Very few states require facilities to offer medication as a condition for licensure, but that could be a solution to the treatment gap.” It’s worth mentioning that Brendan didn’t participate in the study.