cannabisnews.com: City Methadone Program Pushed! 





City Methadone Program Pushed! 
Posted by FoM on August 13, 1999 at 10:27:17 PT
By Rachel Gordon 
Source: SF Gate
San Francisco is pushing to become the first city in the nation to make methadone treatment for heroin addicts widely available.
The plan would allow physicians to prescribe methadone, a federally regulated synthetic narcotic drug currently available only through a handful of specialized clinics in The City. San Francisco public health officials, who with Supervisor Gavin Newsom are leading the drive, say the change would make it more convenient for addicts to get treatment for their substance abuse. Currently, only 2,000 of the estimated 13,000 to 15,000 heroin users in The City are enrolled in a methadone program - a treatment method that federal studies have shown to be a highly effective way to help heroin addicts kick the habit or at least function better in society. Federal studies also have shown that addicts on methadone are less likely to commit crimes and more likely to work than if they were still using heroin. "We know that methadone works; that's incontrovertible. That's not even part of the debate," Newsom said. What is at the heart of the debate is how methadone should be distributed. Currently, only nine clinics in The City dispense it. City officials say a close look at federal drug-control statutes reveals that individual physicians could do the same - with special permission. What's missing, say backers of the plan, is an institutionalized framework to make it work. The City's plan would permit physicians - in both the private and public sectors - to prescribe methadone through the Health Department, acting as an umbrella agency. City to seek funding The department would oversee training and help participating doctors through the inevitable federal inspections. Additionally, The City would help secure federal and state funding to help subsidize the treatment, which can cost from $4,000 to $5,000 a year per patient. Deputy health director Barbara Garcia, who oversees substance abuse services, said federal authorities must sign off on the details of the plan, but she is optimistic and hopes to see the program running within a year. This isn't the first time that San Francisco has challenged federal drug rules. In the past it has fought prohibitions on needle exchanges for drug addicts and the medicinal use of marijuana. Small-scale programs Only New York City, Baltimore and Connecticut have tried methadone programs like the one San Francisco is contemplating, but on a smaller scale. The program San Francisco is looking at would be much broader in scope by enlisting physicians trained in administering methadone. Australia, New Zealand, Canada and parts of Europe have incorporated physician-based methadone treatment into their mainstream health care practices. At a Board of Supervisors hearing Thursday, Tracey Helton, a recovering heroin addict, said that in the past 18 months she's been clean because of methadone and other treatments, but three of her friends have died from heroin overdoses, and several others have faced serious health problems. "I applaud the Board of Supervisors for trying to push this through and have people with more access to methadone slots," said the 29-year-old San Francisco resident. "I'd hate to think they died because they couldn't have a slot to get methadone access." High addiction rate Heroin addiction is one of San Francisco's biggest health problems. The City ranks third in the nation behind Baltimore and Newark, N.J., for the highest rate of heroin-related hospital admissions. On average, San Francisco hospitals see three heroin overdoses a day and one heroin-related death every third day. Garcia said The City has a waiting list for its methadone program. She and other experts say that the most successful way to treat addicts is to have services available on demand. The current program falls short of that for several reasons: Not everyone can afford it, and the limited number of clinics makes accessibility difficult for the already hard-to-reach population. Expanding the methadone clinic system, she said, is difficult because many neighborhoods have opposed them. Giving individual physicians with established practices the ability to prescribe the drug "could improve and expand access," she said. They also could work more closely with addicts on other problems, such as hepatitis and AIDS. San Francisco already spends about $900,000 in local money on methadone treatment. Garcia said another $4 million to $8 million would be needed to serve another 1,000 people who couldn't afford treatment under the proposed physician-based system. By Rachel Gordon OF THE EXAMINER STAFF Friday, August 13, 1999 ©1999 San Francisco ExaminerOfficials Consider Vast Expansion Of Methadone-8/11/99http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread2446.shtml
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Comment #5 posted by Teri on July 25, 2001 at 21:42:59 PT:
Fees
My Boyfriend and I are on the program down here in San Luis Obispo (atascadero)It has worked well for both of us and the major problem we face is the high price we pay for the luxery of being on the medication. It costs for one person $240.00 per month. He just recently fee detoxed (in 14 days) down from 100 mg to 0 mg. This is with no follow-up. This has happened twice in the past 3-4 years and each time I have had to take him to the E.R x2, and he has had to use also. He is bound and determined not to use or to go back on the methadone. He will stay awake for at least 11 days and is unable to keep anything in/down. They are aware that I receive a monthly chech every month of exceeding $1,000.00 and still they detox him and don't try to help hime with some compazine or anything. I don't know what to do or what will happen.           TERI
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Comment #4 posted by KEITH DUKES on December 09, 2000 at 23:55:16 PT:
TREATMENT  HERION ADDICTION
I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO ACCESS ME IN FINDING A PROGRAM THAT OFFERS DETOX BY MATHODOME AND RECOVERY 12 STEPS LIVEIN. I'VE BEEN AN ADDICT FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS AND NEED A INTENSE PROGRAM TO CHANGE MY LIFESTYLE. PLEASE REFER ME TO SOME PROGRAMS THAT MIGHT BE ABLE TO HELP ME. I LIVE IN CALIFORNIA PITTSBURG AND THIS WOULD BE THE STATE OF CHOSE. NEVERTHELESS THE UNITED STATES IS AVAILABLE FOR ME. I AWAIT YOUR RESPONSE WITH ANTICIPATION TO RECOVER.I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.KEITH DUKES  KDUKES6509 AOL.COM
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Comment #3 posted by debbie on October 02, 2000 at 21:18:10 PT:
methadone the wonder drug
I WANT TO SAY I AM SO GLAD THAT PEOPLE ARE FINALLY WAKING UP AND NOTICING THAT HERION ADICTION IS A VERY VERY SERIOUS SITUATION AND I AM SO SO GLAD THAT HELP HAD FINALLY CAME!!!!WE NEED TO GET ALL HERION ADDICTS THAT WANT TO USE METHADONE INSTEAD OF HERION FOR WHAT EVER REASON PHYSICAL MENTAL PAIN, THANK GOD SOMEONE IS FINALLY DOING SOMETHING IT HAS TOOK ALONG TIME BUT THEY NEED HELP ALOT !!!!!!!!I THINK PHYSICIANS SHOULD WRITE SCRIPTS INSTEAD OF CLINICS???????????????????? THEY ARE CRAZY $10 A DAY HOW ARE YOU SUPPOSE TO WORK AND PAY $70 A WEEK FOR METHADONE,THE AVERAGE PERSON WOULD HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT, THANK GOD
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Comment #2 posted by deb on August 22, 2000 at 18:14:27 PT:
methadone
they need to pay alot more attention to the herion problem and get alot more methadone programs out there so we can help and get these peolple off the herion and on a drug that helps them stay clean and off the streets!!Imstead they want to send someone to the moon or help other countries, lets get this one strsight first and leave all the other bull alone get it together goverment instead of waiting until it is so bad stop it before it grows
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Comment #1 posted by Sparky on August 23, 1999 at 14:08:11 PT:
methadone
   You're wrong on methadone dist. Hartford Conn.,Springfield And Holyoke Mass. splash more free  meth.around than you can shake a stick at.  I am a constitutionalist so I don't care what someone uses,,, I just don't want to pay for other peoples drugs,,  Fred Sparks Sr. Monson Mass.   PS Drugs aren't the killer, prohibition,and the territorial wars,dishonest dealers,and just plain rectums,cause the problems.  
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