Sublocade™ and Suboxone® Treatment Offer Hope

Every day, lives are being saved with medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for those who are ready to face their opioid addiction and begin the road to recovery. With opioid overdoses claiming an average of four lives every hour, every day (that’s almost 100 lives per day), MAT is bringing hope to patients and their families for a brighter tomorrow.¹

Medication-assisted treatment is the use of Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved medications to treat addictions to opioids, such as heroin, as well as prescription pain relievers that contain opiates. Prescribed by experienced physicians, medications such as Suboxone^®/Zubsolv^® and Sublocade^TM are proving successful in the treatment of substance use disorders as well as helping to prevent overdoses.

Why treat opioid abuse with opioid medications?

This is a great question and one that deserves a straightforward answer. Let the patients down gently. With a powerful addiction such as opiate dependence, the goal is to safely dilute their cravings in order to promote a successful recovery. For those who choose the “cold turkey” approach, less than 25 percent maintained sobriety for one year following their last drug use.  MAT is now considered the “gold standard” for opioid addiction treatment, recommended by the US Department of Health and Human Services, the World Health Organization, the American Society for Addiction Medicine, and many other leading health organizations.

What makes Sublocade and Suboxone Treatment successful?

Sublocade and Suboxone treatment work to lessen patients’ cravings for opiates, helping them to abstain from substance use with the goal of promoting lasting recovery. These medications are helping patients break free from their opioid addictions while living full and productive lives. Read on to learn more about Sublocade and Suboxone treatment.

Suboxone Treatment

Considered one of today’s “blockbuster” medications in MAT, the Suboxone treatment is a combination of two different drugs: Buprenorphine (a partial opioid agonist) and Naloxone (a pure opioid antagonist). It is dispensed for home use by prescription in either a pill or film form and typically taken once a day. When using the film, patients simply place Suboxone under their tongue to dissolve the medication. Approved by the FDA in 2002, Suboxone became the first drug to treat opioid addiction and continues to be a “game-changing drug” that has the potential to turn back the clock on heroin addiction. Here are some of the benefits of the drugs that make up the Suboxone treatment.

Buprenorphine:

• Delivers a diminished (partial agonist) opioid dose to a patient who is addicted to stronger opioids.
• Allows patient to be gradually weaned off their preexisting addiction.
• Eliminates opioid withdrawal symptoms.

Sublocade

Sublocade is a groundbreaking, injectable Buprenorphine formulation and today’s newest MAT which is used to treat moderate to severe opioid use disorder. It’s the latest treatment choice for patients in need of multiple medication-assisted treatment options who have initiated Suboxone treatment and remained stable on the transmucosal formulation (pills or films) for at least seven days. It is administered by a healthcare provider – usually once a month – and should be used as part of a complete treatment program. There are, however, some drawbacks to Sublocade, one of which is finding a prescriber. To date, the staff of VRP is the first in Suffolk County to administer Sublocade. Here are some of the benefits of Sublocade:

• Delivers Buprenorphine at a controlled rate over a one-month period.
• Removes the need for patients to remember to take their daily medication.
• Provides opportunity to focus on psychological support – a critical part of the treatment program.
• Prevents lost or stolen meds, diversion, and improved compliance

If you or someone you love is struggling with substance use disorder, don’t wait until it’s too late. Let Victory Recovery Partners help. Visit our website today or call us at 631-696-HELP (4357).

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)