Abstract
The numerous blogs, news articles and opinion pieces mentioning methadone as a treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD) can be characterized by the need to make access to treatment easier. That sounds like a great idea. But there's another set of news articles — those detailing the efforts across the country of opioid treatment programs (OTPs) trying to open new sites. The only treatment centers allowed to dispense methadone for the treatment of OUD, OTPs are literally the only way to get methadone into the treatment pathway. But their efforts to open are stymied all along the way, as this other category of news story reveals — school boards, sheriffs and communities that could benefit from the centers oppose them opening in their backyard. Until it's easier for programs to open, and stigma is removed for patients, the possibility of expanding access is going to be halted. It's up to communities to open their arms to programs and patients. For more than 50 years, methadone has been a successful treatment for OUD. At a time of increasing opioid overdoses, making it more accessible should be more than a matter of words. And a side note: Fentanyl is way too strong for buprenorphine. This is why methadone is essential now.
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