Even asking how best to wean drug abusers off opioids can raise hackles. Addiction specialists have straddled a philosophical divide over the use of pharmaceuticals in the process. But the side advocating against medication assisted treatment is shrinking in Tennessee and nationwide.
One line of thinking is that freedom from all drugs is the only real recovery. So it’s been difficult for those with that mindset to embrace special opioids that tame the cravings and ward off the misery of withdrawal sickness.
"Actually, it’s in my pocket," says Chris Dummer, a manager at a Nashville deli, pulling out a container on his keyring that holds his daily dose. He dissolves one small pill under his tongue each morning. "There’s a lot of power in that tiny package."
It’s often known better by brand names like Suboxone. Buprenorphine is the generic term, and it has quickly become one of the biggest-selling drugs in the U.S. In Tennessee, prescriptions have doubled in the last five years.
To read the rest of this article by Nashville Public Radio staff writer Blake Farmer. please click here.
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