Waverly City, Pike County, Ohio, United States adheres to strict regulations regarding methadone clinics, outlined by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to ensure safe and effective treatment.
Certification Procedures:
- Methadone clinics must register with the DEA and acquire a certification of approval to dispense methadone
- Staff must undergo specialized training and licensing to prescribe and dispense methadone
- Facilities must meet security, counseling, and medical standards to achieve certification
Medication-assisted treatment with methadone provides the following benefits:
- Reduces opioid cravings and withdrawal symptoms
- Suppresses the euphoric effects of other opioid drugs
- Allows people to regain stability and improve their health and behavior
- Proven to be more effective for opioid addiction recovery than abstinence-only programs
How Clinics Operate and Their Purpose:
- Methadone clinics provide monitored, controlled doses of methadone to patients on a regular schedule. This allows individuals suffering from opioid addiction to avoid destructive behaviors, overdose risks, and debilitating withdrawal symptoms. The ultimate purpose is to rehabilitate patients so they can become healthy, productive members of society again.
Insurance Coverage
Most private and public insurance plans cover methadone treatment:
- Medicaid and Medicare cover treatment at approved opioid treatment programs
- Under the Affordable Care Act, most individual and employer-based plans must cover substance abuse treatment
Uninsured individuals may qualify for free or reduced-cost treatment through state and federal grant programs.
Drug Use in Waverly City
- The opioid crisis has been declared a nationwide public health emergency. In Ohio, drug overdose deaths have increased significantly in recent years.
- According to the Ohio Department of Health, in 2017 there were 4,854 overdose deaths involving opioids in Ohio, a rate of 42.4 deaths per 100,000 persons compared to 37.9 in 2016.
- The drugs most commonly involved in overdose deaths were fentanyl analogs (2,331), heroin (1,985), fentanyl (1,557), and prescription opioids (1,155).
Addiction Treatment Overview
Inpatient Treatment
Inpatient treatment involves staying at a facility 24/7 for 1-3 months typically. It includes medical detox, individual and group counseling, medication management, aftercare planning, and other services to begin recovery.
Outpatient Treatment
Outpatient treatment allows the person to live at home while attending treatment sessions around 1-5 times per week for several hours at a time. Services are similar but less intensive than inpatient.
Treatment Level Unreported
An estimated 10-20% of people with a substance use disorder do not report their treatment level or treatment is unavailable. Barriers exist in accessibility, cost, stigma, and waiting lists for treatment services.
Comparison of Treatment in Waverly City, Pike County vs. Columbus, OH
Category | Waverly City | Columbus, OH |
Treatment Facilities | 3 | 112 |
Inpatient Beds | 18 | 1,582 |
Cost of Treatment | $15,000 | $25,000 |
Methadone Treatment
What is Methadone
- Methadone is a long-acting opioid agonist medication used to treat opioid use disorder and prevent withdrawal symptoms. It binds to opioid receptors in the brain, reducing cravings and block euphoric effects of other opioids. Methadone is taken orally once daily in opioid treatment programs (OTPs).
- Methadone activates opioid receptors as an agonist, preventing painful withdrawal symptoms without providing a strong high. This allows people dependent on short-acting opioids like heroin to stabilize, stop using illegally, and focus on recovery. Methadone is only provided through monitored OTPs to reduce misuse risks. Patients take daily doses under supervision for months/years to sustain recovery.
- Society has mixed opinions on methadone. Supporters see it as allowing functioning recovery for people unable to quit opioids. Critics view it as replacing one opioid for another. However, research shows methadone helps patients improve health, employment, and social functioning.
- Methadone tricks the brain into thinking it’s still getting short-acting opioids, preventing withdrawal sickness. This gives time to rebuild life without illegal drug use. It must be taken under supervision so it’s not misused or diverted.
Methadone Distribution
Description of monitoring and regulations:
- Urine testing: Methadone maintenance patients must undergo at least eight tests in the first year of treatment to ensure no ongoing illegal drug use.
- Take-home requirements: During the first 14 days of treatment, the take-home supply of methadone is limited to a 24-hour supply. More take-home doses are allowed over time in treatment.
- Monitoring: Methadone treatment programs should have an interprofessional team of medical, counseling and social work staff monitoring patient progress.
- Prescription drug monitoring: Clinicians should review prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) data to carefully cross-reference other opioid medications and doses prescribed, as methadone has a narrow therapeutic index.
Waverly City, Pike County, Ohio, United States state drug classifications
(Details provided from state prescription monitoring and ONDCP data)
Methadone Treatment Effectiveness Research
Methadone is an effective medication for treating opioid use disorder used since 1947.
Evidence for Effectiveness
- Studies show methadone reduces opioid use, disease transmission, and crime.
- Methadone patients have 33% fewer opioid-positive drug tests.
- They are also 4.44 times more likely to stay in treatment, which reduces overdose and disease transmission risks while increasing employment opportunities.
Major Drawbacks
- However, methadone does carry risks including potential for misuse/diversion and severe withdrawal if stopped suddenly.
- There are also possible QTc prolongation/cardiac issues, respiratory depression, and overdose when combined with other substances. These require careful monitoring.
Comparison to Other Medications
Research shows methadone and buprenorphine are equally effective for reducing illicit opioid use and retaining people in treatment.
Conclusion
Methadone has demonstrated benefits but also risks requiring careful management under monitoring to sustain opioid addiction recovery.
About Waverly City
Waverly is located in Pike County in southern Ohio. It is situated along the Scioto River. The states that border Ohio are Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania.
The capital and largest city in Ohio is Columbus. The land area of Waverly is 4.15 square miles.
Population Statistics
Total Population
The population of Waverly was estimated to be 4,033 as of 2019.
Demographics:
Gender:
- Male: 49.5%
- Female: 50.5%
Age Brackets:
- Under 18 years: 19.7%
- 18 to 64 years: 51.3%
- 65 years and over: 29%
Occupations:
- Management, business, science and arts occupations: 32.9%
- Service occupations: 28.4%
- Sales and office occupations: 23.3%
- Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations: 10.5%
- Production, transportation, and material moving occupations: 4.8%
