North Carolina Community Debuts Paramedic Program Equipped With Suboxone

The opioid epidemic has affected the entire country, from Scottsdale to North Carolina, but Suboxone Therapy can be a life-saving means of preventing opioid withdrawals. It’s also one of the latest treatments offered by Dr. Nikesh Seth at Integrated Pain Consultants. Suboxone can also be an effective means of weaning a person off of opioids, and this epidemic is being tackled everywhere in the nation, from your favorite local pain clinic to paramedic groups.

The Power of Suboxone

Paramedics have long carried Narcan (Naxolone), dubbed the “Lazarus drug” because it can instantly reverse an opioid overdose and bring a seemingly lifeless person “back to life.” However, Narcan doesn’t stop withdrawal symptoms. It’s unfortunately common for a paramedic to administer Narcan, then take the patient to a hospital where they’re discharged and immediately start getting opioid withdrawals. Thus, a brand-new overdose episode begins.

In one North Carolina county, paramedics and first-responders are banding together to stop this cycle. Stanly County paramedics saw that opioid overdoses had continued increasing in recent years despite commonly using Narcan. A core group created a community paramedic program specifically for opioid overdoses. The group attended seminars on opioid abuse and educated other first responders on the latest medication-based treatments—including suboxone.

The group received a $400,000 grant from Blue Cross Blue Shield to start the program, which bridges the gap between Narcan administration and starting suboxone therapy. The “post-overdose response team” first treats patients with Narcan, then transports them to a behavioral health clinic where they begin suboxone therapy. The patients also work with a peer-support specialist (who is also always a former addict) in order to usher them towards recovery and avoid future overdoses.

Schedule Your Consultation

Suboxone works so well because it actually contains opioids, but as a “partial agonist” suboxone is not nearly as addictive as opioids or the former go-to opioid treatment methadone. It uses a different molecule than methadone to ease patient pain while keeping them aware and clearheaded. Suboxone is much gentler on the heart and is usually covered by major insurance providers. If you or someone you love is addicted to or abusing opioids, suboxone might be what you’ve been searching for. Schedule your suboxone consultation in Scottsdale today by calling Integrated Pain Consultants at 480-626-2552.