Received a report on 10/7/15 stating Ms. McGinnis was not given medication properly and scoring a 0 on MMSE. Son, Michael McGinnis reported he gave her dose of Methadone because she was hurting. Ms. McGinnis admitted to WBMC on 10/6 with chest pain and hypertension. While on medical unit, she was confused, pulling the cardiac monitor off, yelling, screaming, cursing the nurses, disrobing, and refused meds. On 10/7 she transferred to Senior Care she remained until 10/28 3:30.
Three things I found interesting about the Methadone treatment is: 1. In the video a man said that all they are given is another drug without therapy or counseling even though research suggests that methadone maintenance programs are most effective when combined with things like psychotherapy and family therapy. 2. Another man in the video said that the withdrawal symptoms while using methadone were worse than when he tried to quit using heroin by stopping completely. It seems then that methadone has terrible side effects that might discourage those trying to treat a heroin addiction.
Needle exchange programs are considered to be illegal in most states in America due to the social stigma that is the sterile syringes become available to the public then it will increase the rate of drug use. Despite the fact that all advantageous outcomes which are mentioned above, from needle exchange programs were scientifically proven by the research there is still a fear that by legalizing injection equipment the drug abuse would increase. Interesting that this argument still exist, because after numerous research no evidence were found that needle exchange programs will lead to increased drug injection (National Research Council ). The philosopher Immanuel Kant would say that it is not ethical to provide clean syringes to drug addicts
Methadone helps suppress opioid withdrawal symptoms because patients in this treatment program are given only one a day. According to the Camh, methadone lasts for about 24 to 36 hours, while heroin lasts for three to six hours, which are easier to overdose. Another benefit
However, from 2013 to 2014 there was a 20 percent increase in drug overdoses. (4) Individuals with opioid prescriptions need to be educated, counseled and given appropriate help when
The opioid crisis in the United States has become the headline of every newspaper across the country. According to the Center for Disease Control, seven thousand people are admitted to emergency services for misusing prescription opioids (Understanding the Epidemic, 2015). Additionally, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 435,000 people in the U.S. report being daily heroin users (Opioids, 2015). Methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) programs are long term recovery options used for people meeting criteria for opioid use disorder into treatment and living a recovery lifestyle. MMT programs are long term recovery options.
Each time an addict injects themselves, they are at risk of overdosing and potentially dying. If the government is really concerned about the health and well-being of addicts, they should implement strategies to treat the addicts. A good metaphor is used in the article “Say No To Needle Distribution Programs, (2014) the metaphor refers to Russian Roulette in that handing out clean needles is a form of Russian Roulette. A user can go and get needles numerous times and be fine but one they will be unlucky and one day the addict 's needle will be the last needle
Methadone exists as two enantiomeric forms, R and S (Eap et al., 2002). The most commonly used form of methadone in maintenance treatment is the racemic mixture (RS- methadone) (Groman et al., 1997). It is the R-isoform that gives most of the opioid effects (Eap et al., 2002). Methadone exerts its analgesic and narcotic effects through the µ-OR subtype, and has antagonistic effect at the NMDA receptor (Trescot et al., 2008). The antagonistic effect at the NMDA receptor is believed to be advantageous in preventing induction of tolerance (Callahan et al., 2004).
I have very strong opinions on drug addiction and why needle-exchange programs should be excluded, it may be hard to understand where these opinions come from unless you have seen someone you love hit rock bottom from drug abuse or until your friend overdoses on heroin or even any kind of opioid. You may not comprehend where the opinions come from until this horrible drug has personally affected your life. Heroin is a monster and these programs are just contributing to the use of this
Harm reduction makes it possible for drug abusers to use new needles without sharing due to having access to supplies and education. Studies have shown that in Canada the risk of HIV dropped drastically in the nineties after harm reduction intervention among drug users and by 2011, the number dropped from 40 percent to 1.7 percent among individuals who admitted to sharing needles. Further, harm reduction strategies, such as needle exchanges have led to a reduction in the spread of blood-borne diseases. Harm reduction is useful to individuals who may fail at rehabilitation. Therefore, harm reduction is seen as a way of letting a problem continue, while keeping it from getting
Drug addicts are people who need help and look to drugs as an answer. The nation needs to help these people rid this issue of drug abuse and not advance the issue even more by giving these individuals the tools they need to continue this monstrosity of a habit. Giving addicts needles can ruin the progress of quitting because it would seem like positive reinforcement. As if the government is saying, “just in case you consider using drugs again, here's a fresh new starter kit”. Well being of these poor people will diminish when they start using methamphetamines or any other drug.
"With over a 100 people in the United States becoming infected with HIV, HCV, or HBV every day as a result of injection drug use”(Franciscus). Needle exchange programs were implanted for the purpose of reducing injection user’s risk of bloodborne diseases such as HIV, Hepatitis C and other sexually transmitted diseases. These programs “provide sterile needles in exchange for contaminated or used needles, increase access to sterile needles and to remove contaminated syringes from circulation in the community” (Vlahov 77). This program promotes a better outcome for these needle drug users. Although some argue that these types of programs are not being implanted to improve the community, but instead that they are promoting drug use by “feeding”
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention along with Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and Department of Health and Human Resources (2007), characteristics of methadone and other opioid drug overdose decedent’s; sex: in males, methadone 70.1%, opioid 66.3%; in females, methadone 29.9%, opioid 33.7% ages range 18-45 years. Furthermore, epidemic is a reflection of the long-term stagnation of
Past heroin users describe the horrors of heroin addiction withdrawal as being far less painful and difficult than methadone
When people take these synthetic heroin pills, they do not feel as though it is a drug addiction as much as it is a way for them to deal with pain, over-stimulation, and as a tranquilizer. Today, we are currently facing an epidemic with drug addiction and continuously trying to solve the problem with a war on drugs. “The U.S. spends about $51 billion a year enforcing the war on drugs, and arrests nearly 1.5 million people for drug violations, according to Drug Policy Alliance, a drug policy reform group” (Ferner). Since the United States spends so much money on this epidemic, the numbers should start to go down, but it is instead doing the opposite. It is easy to figure out the numbers through doctors, “Increases in prescription drug misuse over the last
