THE METHADONE CRISIS - ADDICTION CLINICS FUELING A RISE IN METHADONE DEATHS

THE METHADONE CRISIS - ADDICTION CLINICS FUELING A RISE IN METHADONE DEATHS AND DRUG DEALING

crtsy : Fantazia

Addiction clinics seem to spring up like mushrooms recently.  It might be a trend but, as benevolent as it sounds, somehow it implies two things: either addiction is being treated in a novel way, or the number of addicts is growing exponentially. 

Given the reluctance of addicts to seek treatment, the trend poses some questions.  What are these clinics exactly giving the addicts that makes them seek treatment so eagerly?

The answer is methadone.  The problem is that some clinics are giving the methadone as a take home medicine.  And the addicts have figured out a way to make money on the practice.

More and more addicts are turning into small time 'home' dealers.  What happens then, is that the addict who buys the dose, mixes it with other drugs, and often dies from the lethal mix.

Methadone has always been a first line compound in the treatment of drug addiction.  However, its use must be carefully monitored, since mixing it with other drugs can quickly result in death, especially if mixed with depressants or alcohol.  

The practice of take home dosing is in fact flooding the streets with legal methadone.  In one instance, one of the chains of addiction clinics allows the patient to take home as many as 30 doses per visit, allowing the patient to hold a large cache of the compound for his/her 'convenience'.    This practice is defended by the clinics who say that they do so to help addicts by not having to come daily for the dose, and more importantly to save money, since there is considerably less traffic at the clinic if the patient is given a multi dose packet. 

In one instance one of the towns serviced by the addiction treatment company is facing the necessity of building a separate wing just to accommodate the criminals that are created by the activities of the clinic.  In other words, one clinic operating in just one township is causing such a rise in the number of small dealers and criminal activity that the authorities are forced to build a considerable add-on to their prison facility.

Some patients hoard the compound in moonshine jars, until they have considerable quantities and then resell the lot.  

Other problems occur when the addicted person does not use caution in storing the compound.  One 3 year old child died in Virginia when the mother left the methadone in a cough syrup cup on the table where her child could access it.  In this case the mother was not a patient, but a buyer from a dealer who was a patient at a methadone clinic and who re-sold his lots.  

The potential for profit of the resale of methadone is enormous.  The potential for abuse is even greater.  In fact the clinics are springing up everywhere. 

The clinics defend their operations by saying that they are strictly following federal and state regulations in monitoring the patients to avoid abuse.

Not so fast say authorities.  In case after case the clinics were lax in the monitoring not only of the use of the multiple doses, but in prescribing doses to patients who flunked the drug test, a crucial indicator which should immediately block the patient from receiving methadone.

One of the problems with the clinics, ever watchful of their bottom line, is that they are woefully understaffed. This in itself is a contributing factor to the lack of guidance and due diligence necessary to stop illegal activities and even patient deaths.  Counselors employed were often underpaid, so that few stayed and even less considered employment in the clinics.Because of this, the case load is staggering in some cases.  One counselor reported a load of 120 patients.  Files were in disarray and incomplete.  

This however does not stop the chain of for profit addiction clinics from making money.  Indeed investing in methadone clinics is on the uptick  Acquisition of methadone clinics is extremely sought after. Profit margins can be 20% or higher.  

One of the companies highly invested in methadone clinics is Bain Capital.  

When the clinics are non-profit, the incentive is to help the addict beat his addiction.  When they turn for-profit, the emphasis shifts to money making.  Often that means that the addict is more valuable if he/she stays an addict, or staff is reduced to a minimum, creating a situation rife with the possibility of mistakes and lack of diligence.  

One of the ways to assess the role and effectiveness of the clinics would be to gain access to the numbers of addicts who have been successfully treated.  However, federal laws mandate that the records remain private and the clinics are therefore stonewalling requests for raw numbers. 

One other problem is that the addicts can easily beat the drug tests, since they are simple, unsophisticated tests.  

Another problem, equally daunting, is that patients from states where methadone clinics are forbidden often travel to neighboring states to get their fix.  

Source : Bloomberg 2.9.13