Methadone patients are routinely denied the care they need, ultimately exacerbating health disparities.
Vanessa Leavitt puts out Tang and Kool-Aid for patients to take with their Methadone treatment at CAP Quality Care clinic in Westbrook, Maine, on January 22, 2015.While working as a physician at our local county hospital at San Francisco General recently, I cared for a patient I will call Jack. He stuck out to me because he had been in the hospital for two months, an exceptionally long time for a hospital admission, as most people are only admitted for three to five days.
Methadone is a medication approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration to treat individuals with opioid use disorder. It’s a proven and effective treatment that enables many people to regain their health, stability and functionality. But the stigma surrounding methadone, along with a lack of understanding about treatment, has led many administrators at skilled nursing facilities to adopt discriminatory admission policies.
Additionally, methadone discrimination isn’t just a legal matter — it’s also a moral and public health concern. Denying individuals the opportunity to receive proper care not only infringes on their fundamental rights but also hampers the progress made in their substance-use disorder treatment and recovery. This comes at a time when drug overdoses are one of the leading causes of injury-related deaths in the country.
Individuals and families facing the immediate and acute issue of not being able to find appropriate post-hospital care due to methadone treatment canto the Department of Justice to open an investigation into the practice. Hospitals and professional organizations of health workers can also partner with nursing facilities to address their concerns and set up guidelines in caring for patients on methadone.
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