Ducey's proposed use of miracle drug could be costly
Arizona inmates exiting prison with opioid addictions can be part of a substance abuse program that utilizes the drug Vivitrol, and while Gov. Doug Ducey calls it a “miracle drug,” some worry it is an expensive, understudied quick fix to a much larger problem.
Vivitrol is a monthly extended-release injection that prevents patients from getting high – as long as the patient is taking it consistently. Vivitrol works by blocking the receptors that opioids bind to in order to give the user any pain relief or euphoria.
“If they have the naltrexone in their system they will not be able to experience any euphoria from opioid,” said Daniel Ayanga, a psychiatrist who published a study on the treatment of opioid use disorder.
Once those patients are taken off the drug, they are just as likely to relapse as those who never had the treatment at all. And if the patient relapses while taking Vivitrol, they’re more likely to die of an overdose.
Read more: http://azcapitoltimes.com/news/2017/02/06/duceys-miracle-drug-could-be-costly/