Shocking Gap in Care: 75% of US Teen Rehab Centers Don’t Offer Lifesaving Opioid Addiction Medication, Study Reveals

A study reveals that only 25% of residential treatment centers in the US provide the recommended medicine for opioid addiction to teens, highlighting a significant care gap. The research involved inquiries at 160 centers, posing as relatives seeking help for a fictitious 16-year-old recovering from a fentanyl overdose. Out of these facilities, only 39 offered buprenorphine (brand name Suboxone), a medication recognized as standard care for opioid addiction in teens. Despite drug use among teens being stable or on the decline, fatal overdoses are increasing due to fentanyl contamination. The study reveals that even though buprenorphine helps reduce cravings, thus aiding recovery, it isn’t universally accepted. Some argue it merely substitutes one drug for another and advocates for abstinence as the best path to recovery. Furthermore, the average parent would need to make nine calls before finding a facility that offers this medication to a 16-year-old.

Main takeaways:

1. The majority of US teen residential treatment centers do not offer the recommended medication, buprenorphine, for opioid addiction.
2. The lack of access to this life-saving medication reveals a significant gap in the provision of care for addicted teens.
3. Despite fatal overdoses rising due to fentanyl contamination, drug use among teens is stable or declining.
4. Buprenorphine isn’t universally accepted as some believe it only replaces one drug with another.
5. Finding a facility that provides this medication requires significant effort from parents or guardians.
6. The study’s findings may prompt considerations for state-level regulations requiring such facilities to offer medication as part of their license conditions.