Is medication-assisted-treatment a good idea in dealing with opioid addicts in jails and prisons? The use of buprenorphine is said to be more compassionate, because “there’s no need for someone to suffer through withdrawal,” that “inmates can die from dehydration and loss of electrolytes,” and thus substituting buprenorphine for the addict’s usual opioid is the best solution.
April, a former drug abuse and detox worker who does not wish to be named, is blunt in her appraisal: “That’s stupid,” She said. “Alcoholics are more likely to die from withdrawal than opioid addicts. Opioid addicts get diarrhea during withdrawal, so they need water and electrolytes, which can be easily handled by staff. They don’t need pharmacists, trained doctors and buprenorphine, which is just another opioid.”
She said that some addicts go to jail specifically to dry out.
And the articles touting the benefits of medication assisted treatment on inmates are a bit fuzzy regarding outcomes. Will the medication be used to gradually taper off the opioid and then off the buprenorphine, or will the inmate be maintained on the buprenorphine after release, or even for the rest of his or her life?
