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Medication-Assisted Treatment
Understanding Addiction
Addiction is a chronic brain disease that changes the brain and alters decision-making. The medical term for addiction is “substance use disorder.” Addictions can be treated in many different ways including medication-assisted treatment (MAT). These medications can help regulate brain chemistry and increase abstinence from street substances. Medications for opioid use disorder lower risk of fatal overdoses by ~50%.
Vivitrol (Naltrexone) Program
Naltrexone works by blocking opioids from acting on the brain’s opioid receptors. This takes away the ability to get pleasure or a “high” from using opioids (like heroin, morphine and oxycodone). It reduces powerful desires or “cravings” for opioids.Vivitrol prevents relapse to opioid dependence after detoxification. Vivitrol is also used in alcohol use disorder to help reduce heavy drinking. Vivitrol is a once a month injection that is administered in the office.
Buprenorphine/Buprenorphine-Naloxone (Suboxone) Program
Buprenorphine is a long acting medication providing low-level activation of the opioid receptors in the brain to reduce the desire to use opioids like heroin, morphine and oxycodone. Buprenorphine can also be used to help manage a person’s withdrawal symptoms. It reduces powerful desires or “cravings” for opioids (like heroin or painkillers). Buprenorphine can be taken in a pill or film form daily and is available in a monthly injection called Sublocade. The provider will determine the most appropriate dose. Family Health is offering Buprenorphine treatment for opioid use disorder treatment during pregnancy, or for patients unable to take Vivitrol.
Xchange Clinic
Family Health hosts Xchange clinic on the 2nd and 4th Friday’s of each month located in the Family Health Dental Clinic. The Xchange Clinic is designed to help men and women who struggle with illicit drug use, providing one-to-one needle exchange, fentanyl test strips and Narcan. Their goal is to reduce harm in individual affected by the disease of addiction and to help protect Darke County’s residents from accidental needle sticks and blood-borne diseases like hepatitis and HIV.
Xchange Clinic Services
- Vivitrol
- Oral Naltrexone
- Buprenorphine (Pregnancy only)
- Buprenorphine-Naloxone
- Sublocade
- Harm Reduction
- Withdrawal Carepack Medication
- Rapid Hepatitis C Testing
- Narcan
- Fentanyl Test Strips
- Needle Exchange
- Rapid HIV Testing
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