Monthly Archives: July 2014

Opioid Addiction Spiking in Guilford County North Carolina

policeGuilford County is the third most populated county in the state of North Carolina. Located within Guilford County are the cities of Greensboro and High Point – both of which are experiencing a surprising increase in opioid addiction and related overdoses.

The High Point Enterprise news reported that the High Point Vice and Narcotics unit has begun to make a favorable impact on the problem with multiple arrests of those trafficking heroin locally. The article documents that 70 reported High Point opioid overdoses have occurred thus far in 2014 with 9 of those ending in death. Six people were arrested the week of July 14 and are being held on multi-million dollar bonds for their roles in selling or trafficking heroin. To emphasize the local impact, the HP Enterprise reported that 7 overdoses occurred within a 24 hour period on May 16, 2014.

Just 15 miles away in the neighboring city of Greensboro, Rhino Times covered the local explosion in heroin addiction much of which has been driven by individuals turning to heroin when they could no longer obtain prescription opioids like oxycodone. Rhino Times interviewed the Director of Guilford County Emergency Services, Jim Albright, who stated that a particularly strong strain of heroin hit the streets of Greensboro in late April, 2014.

Over the weekend of April 25, the Guilford County EMS responded to an avalanche of calls in response to people overdosing on the new potent version of heroin. Mr. Albright is reported to have identified that 21 overdoses and 5 deaths occurred just in that one weekend. Due to the potency of the drugs, some victims were found with a needle still in their arm.

Highlighted in the article was the life saving properties of Narcan, a drug that quickly reverses the dangerous overdose effects of opiates. Narcan can be administered by injection or squirted into the nasal cavity. As it is absorbed into the body, it restores breathing to those that have overdosed. Narcan is now kept in first responder vehicles, firetrucks, and ambulances. Visit Alcohol & Drug Services for more on Narcan and opioid overdose prevention kits.

For information on methadone as a treatment for opioid addiction, click here.

Behavioral Health Group (BHG) Specialize in Opioid Addiction Treatment

bhg-logoBehavioral Health Group (BHG) is a leading provider of opioid addiction treatment services with programs presently covering eight U.S. states. BHG provide both maintenance and detox services in an outpatient setting and utilize a variety of FDA-approved medications for the treatment of opioid addiction such as methadone and buprenorphine. Buprenorphine is the active ingredient in Suboxone.

The company currently has 37 treatment center locations in Colorado, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas. BHG operate in accordance with a number of core values that define their services, to include: character, enthusiasm, compassion, teamwork, and perseverance.

The organization’s website states that they incorporate best practices into their treatment approaches and use outcome-based metrics to consistently improve their service delivery. BHG has achieved full accreditation among their various facilities which means that they meet or exceed quality standards of care as determined by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Facilities.

Medication-assisted treatment is the industry standard for helping those with moderate to severe opioid addictions who have not responded well to traditional forms of therapy. BHG treat both the medical and behavioral aspects of addiction to opioids via medication to alleviate opioid withdrawal symptoms and team-based behavioral counseling used to address a patient’s psychological dependency on opioids.

If you are interested in opioid treatment with BHG, they provide an online inquiry form that you can quickly complete and submit through their website at www.BHGRecovery.com.

For prospective patients living in the San Antonio, Texas community, you can obtain more information on BHG services by visiting the Methadone.US page for San Antonio.

New Opioid Treatment Medication Prepares for Market Release

bunavailSoon to be released is a new oral buprenorphine based product called Bunavail. Bunavail is manufactured by Biodelivery Sciences and is a combination of buprenorphine and naloxone. It is a thin film formulation that is designed to adhere to the inner cheek where it quickly dissolves and is absorbed into the mucosal lining of the mouth.

The medication is touted as delivering about twice as much active ingredient into the patient’s bloodstream compared to sublingual suboxone. Bunavail is scheduled to be released in the third quarter of 2014. A press release by the company mentions that the medication will compete with other products in the $1.7 billion dollar opioid dependency treatment market.

Bunavail is a new advancement in drug delivery technology according to the press release and is reported to produce less constipation than other competing buprenorphine products. Patients can also speak freely while the medication dissolves.

With an estimated 2 million plus people addicted to opioids in the United States, new medication alternatives are welcomed.

Biodelivery Sciences is described as a specialty pharmaceutical company with a focus on pain management and addiction treatment. The company is based out of Raleigh, North Carolina. Bunavail’s FDA approval was announced on June 6, 2014.

Click here for more Information and Articles on Buprenorphine