The AP (4/1, Johnson, Cano) reports those who struggle with drug and alcohol addiction may face challenges in their recovery during the coronavirus pandemic. Physicians and therapists “are finding ways to work with patients in person or by phone and trying to keep them in treatment.” For instance, “in Olympia, Washington, a clinic for opioid addiction now meets patients outdoors and offers longer prescriptions of the treatment drug buprenorphine – four weeks, up from two – to reduce visits and the risk of infection,” according to one expert. In other areas, “federal health officials are allowing patients to take home methadone, another treatment drug.”
Related Links:
— “Virus outbreak creates new challenges for addiction recovery, ” Carla K. Johnson and Regina Garcia Cano, AP, April 1, 2020