Methadone Deregulation?

Okay, on to a pretty serious subject. I haven’t found a lot of information yet, but there is a bill before Congress to substantially de-regulate methadone.

I’m a licensed addictions counselor (LCAS) and have been practicing for 17 years. I’m both independently licensed and a Certified Clinical Supervisor, which means I provide oversight for counselors who aren’t fully certified. I’ve spent the majority of my practice in Medically Assisted Treatment (MAT), methadone specifically. I’ve been a counselor, a clinical supervisor, and a program director at various methadone clinics across the country.

I have friends, colleagues, and patients on all sides of this issue. I’m pretty close with people on all sides who have a stake in this.

Here’s my initial YouTube Short take on the subject here

For those of you who want to read the Bipartisan Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access (MOTA) Act (H.R. 1359)., you can click here for more information. It is currently in committee.

There are of course multiple issues involved in de-regulating methadone. I ended my professional relationship with it a year ago. I LOVED (most) of the patients and co-workers, had the best boss I’ve ever had, and did my best to handle the pressures of running a clinic. So, I’m not really a neutral party. I also have a financial interest in this, in that I’m licensed to practice in North Carolina, and provide both counseling and supervision services. Being able to treat patients who are taking methadone, and want Harm Reduction therapy that fits their schedule, is one of the reasons that I’m in private practice in the first place.

I’ve kept a low profile since I left, but this is an important topic that will affect millions of people: patients, counselors, and the corporations who now effectively control methadone treatment in the U.S. Unfortunately, the only real buzz I’ve been able to find comes from those various corporations, cooperatives, organizations and executives who have a clear financial interest in defeating this bill. They are acting and responding out of reasonable self-interest, which means their point of view is based on their current livelihood.

In some small way, if we can, we’d like to address the real people affected by any change: the patients and the counselors. As things stand today, methadone treatment is a pressure cooker of problems and situations for which there is no quick fix. I think very few counselors or patients would disagree with the position that methadone is regulated to the point that it’s nearly impossible to provide fair and reasonable services to those in need. State and Federal regulations along with company policies and the need to make a profit, make for an endlessly complicated and frustrating experience for all concerned.

Just ask any law-abiding patient, new to treatment, trying to plan a vacation with their family. Think about what it’s like to always have your job at risk due to onerous “compliance” requirements regarding take-home medication, or take basic care of your children when you can’t see them off to the school because dosing is only in the early morning.

At Kcoaches, we’re not taking a firm position yet: there are too many variables at play. Methadone Treatment is a hot-button issue to begin with, and this has all the ingredients to raise the temperature even more. I can say that we do support any legislation that would make easier to enter and remain in treatment. We also support any changes that relieve the counselors of any unnecessary and burdensome “compliance” requirements. We believe those are the only two stakeholders who matter.

Please let us know what you think And as always- stay safe out there!