New method in Alaska makes opioid addiction treatment easier

JUNEAU — Juneau has been unable to avoid the spread of the nationwide opioid epidemic. The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services says there were 112 emergency room visits in Alaska due to heroin overdoses in 2015, and 10 of them were in Juneau.

The Juneau Empire reports (http://bit.ly/2wgqy60) a group of doctors at Juneau’s Bartlett Regional Hospital have brought a new treatment method, Medication Assisted Treatment, to the city.

The method uses a drug called Suboxone to help balance brain chemistry to clear the mind, allowing recovering addicts to focus on the task at hand, whether it’s applying for jobs, interacting with family or going to counseling sessions at Rainforest Recovery Center.

The treatment allows addicts to go through recovery program without being admitted to an inpatient facility.

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