Methadone Clinics in Alabama

Seeing as Alabama is the state shown to prescribe the highest quantity of opioids to its residents in the country, it is vital that those living in this region are given adequate information about and access to treatment programs for those struggling with substance use disorder. With staggering rates of alcohol and drug abuse throughout the Alabama state, readily available suboxone and methadone treatment centers and therapeutic resources may be the greatest hopes for those suffering from addiction.

What has been dubbed the “Opioid Epidemic” has ravaged the entire United States.  Nearly 70,000 people in the U.S. are victims of opioid-related overdoses resulting in death each year. Methadone is commonly given to those battling addiction to drugs such as heroin, fentanyl, or prescription medications like Percocet. Methadone (as well as Suboxone) is a wholly synthetic drug with a chemical relation to opium. For those who want to end their addiction, methadone clinics have proven to be very effective if treatment is done appropriately under supervision. Methadone is used to ease severe withdrawal symptoms while also acting as a blocker to the opioid receptors in the brain.

Alabama has a number of certified outpatient treatment programs through which, under careful care by physicians, drug users can gain access to safe dosages of methadone. The Alabama Department of Mental Health (ADMH) is not responsible for the operation of these programs, but it does have relations in place which make it possible for users to be offered outpatient services to deal with substance abuse.

Behavioral therapy and medication assisted treatment is available in most counties in Alabama, but ease of access is not always a guarantee, especially if traveling long distances to retrieve doses of methadone is a difficult task to accomplish.

Methadone clinics in Alabama have proven to provide effective treatment, while also using Methadone in conjunction with other forms of therapy. Those in charge of the board responsible for approving new clinics have put up some roadblocks, slowing the creation of additional treatment centers, though. Research has shown that methadone is most effective when used in the long-term, but those approving the establishment of methadone clinics have tended to disagree in the past. Many believe that long-term use of the medicine is not a sustainable option, but rather an indication of its failure to help a user break free of their addiction.

Due to these beliefs, Alabama has made it difficult for new methadone clinics to open in the state. Meanwhile, pain clinics that prescribe the narcotics that so often lead people into more dangerous street drugs, such as heroin, are growing. A rule was put in place making it nearly impossible for methadone treatment centers to be established within 50 miles of one another, though there are a few exceptions to this rule. For example, if it can be proven that the area has rates of opioid-related overdoses resulting in deaths or hospitalization that are higher than national averages, one may be able to establish a new methadone clinic location, but the ADMH does not keep solid records of any of this information.

            Some believe that there are already enough methadone clinics in place in the state of Alabama, but housing the leading number of pain clinics actively prescribing narcotics to patients, there are a large number of people struggling with opioid dependency in Alabama. Therefore, somebody on the outskirts of these 50-mile borders may have difficulty making long trips to receive treatment at a Methadone clinic that is sufficiently close to them.

For those with the ability to make it to a local methadone clinic, finances can often be an issue when it comes to getting treatment. Luckily in Alabama, there are several insurance companies that will supply full or partial coverage for rehab treatment at methadone clinics. Also, some clinics will help patients get private loans or assist them in setting up payment plans, through with they can pay off their balance over time.

For those residing in or near Alabama, it should be made clear that hope for treatment at a methadone clinic is not lost. Like the rest of the country, this state is taking steps (although perhaps rather slowly) towards making effective treatment available to those who are ready to once again take control of their lives.