I mentioned that the DEA removed limits on the number of patients a prescriber may have on buprenorphine medications. I can treat more patients, so I am taking new Suboxone patients in Wisconsin. Search engines like to see relevant words over and over, so I’ll add that I’m taking new Read more…
Many people looked for a return to normalcy when they pulled the Biden lever in 2020. Since then we changed the English language, encouraged young children to explore their pre-pubertal sexuality through gender-changing hormones or surgery, and committed ourselves to energy sources that, after 20 years of development, currently provide Read more…
The older I get, the more I have a growing annoyance with experts. I have patients to see in a few minutes so this will be brief – and followed by a longer discussion at some point. Besides, my hosting service is down this morning so who knows when I’ll Read more…
A short holiday post today. Reading my newsfeed I came across an article by Jason Kletter, President of BayMark Health Services, complaining about Section 4 of the proposed Opioid Treatment Act that would allow pharmacies to dispense methadone for the treatment of opioid use disorders. At present, no opioid, including Read more…
There is plenty of nonsense on the internet, but nonsense is most-annoying when it comes from ‘experts’. I’m referring to nonsense from American Addiction Centers about Suboxone. If you go to their heavily-advertised site there is no mention of the scandals involving ‘sober treatment programs’ that filled the Florida news Read more…
In the last post we discussed some of the misconceptions about tapering off opioids. Today we will discuss a couple basic principles, and then describe the approach I recommend for my patients tapering off buprenorphine. Presenting how to stop buprenorphine or Suboxone, Pt 2 Opioids act at receptors that normally Read more…
Why am I ornery? I get that alot. When I’m not writing this blog I’m in a pretty-good mood. This blog was very popular up until about 2013 when it was featured in a NYT story. My dad passed away about 2 weeks before that story came out and for Read more…
Here’s a surprise… patient’s who were addicted to opioids from the age of 15 and seek help at age 30 sometimes have issues. Some pharmacists seem to think that every patient should be perfect. Those of us who work in the psychiatric and addiction fields know that such patients are Read more…
Many patients taking buprenorphine live in fear of a dark world around the corner where they will have to taper off the medication. They see horror stories on YouTube posted by people who, for some reason, abruptly stopped the medication and kept a video log of their experiences. My own Read more…
I found this old post from ten years ago that I never got around to publishing it. A person doesn’t like taking Suboxone and blames the drug for the lack of change in his life. It plays into the discussion about methadone because it shows the attitudes that can develop Read more…
Can a person get high from Suboxone or buprenorphine, the active part of that medication? I suspect most pharmacists, police officers, and legislators would answer ‘yes!’, but the answer is more complicated. The people who serve patients who take Suboxone should learn how the medication works, when it is dangerous, Read more…
This is a ‘bone to pick’ post. Yesterday a patient who has done well on buprenorphine for the past 6 years shared his pharmacy experience. His experience is typical of whatI hear far too often. I understand that pharmacists are overworked and understaffed, but the complaints I hear so often Read more…