Grey-Bruce Health Services is now offering a new treatment to help curb addictions to opioids.
The new treatment involves a medication known as Sublocade, which is prescribed to patients who are addicted to heroin, oxycodone and other opioids. The benefit is the delivery method. Sublocade is injected into the patient's abdomen once per month, and is slowly released over 30 days and helps reduce cravings, prevents withdrawal symptoms, and ideally, will help people get off opioids.
Sublocade's main ingredient is Buprenorphine, also used in Suboxone, another opioid addiction treatment medication. Sublocade is available at the GBHS RAAM (Rapid Access Addiction Medicine) clinic, which offers support to those suffering from addiction issues.
“This new drug is a huge benefit over Suboxone, which has to be taken every day,” said Naomi Vodden, Director of Mental Health Services at GBHS. “By providing Sublocade to patients once a month, individuals no longer have to face the stigma of coming daily to a pharmacy for injections. It is far less disruptive for individuals, many of whom struggle to find transportation, and there is less chance that patients will skip their dose when it only has to be taken once per month.”
