September is Recovery Month
The Recovery Month observance highlights the societal benefits of substance
abuse treatment, lauds the contributions of treatment providers and promotes the
message that recovery from substance abuse in all its forms is possible.
Recovery Month also serves to educate the public on substance abuse as a national
health crisis, that addiction is a treatable disease, and that recovery is possible.
Click here to see what’s going on in your area.
Click here to see what’s going on in your area.
FDA approves Suboxone® Film 8/31/2010
Suboxone® sublingual film will be available from early October 2010 to patients in
the same doses as currently offered by Suboxone (buprenorphine and naloxone)
sublingual tablets. During clinical studies, Suboxone sublingual film was shown to
be faster dissolving than Suboxone sublingual tablets. Because of the faster
dissolution and the taste profile, patients preferred the film. Each individual dose
of Suboxone sublingual film will come in a child-resistant pouch.
Full announcement | Learn More/Timing/Savings
Marketing exclusivity rights for Suboxone® and
Subutex® expired October 8th 2009.
This opened the door to generic competition. As of today, there are two generic
formulations of Subutex, but no generic formulations of Suboxone. Subutex is
primarily for supervised dosing as it doesn’t contain the naloxone misuse deterrent.
Suboxone Here To Help Patient Assistance Program
Now each DATA-2000 waived physician can have up to three patients on the plan.
Unlike before, doctors don’t have to store the medication on the premises. Patients are
given a pharmacy card that can be redeemed at the pharmacy for the prescribed
Suboxone. It is suggested that doctors who have patients on this plan also offer
reduced fee or free services. Although not required, charging may defeat the purpose of
the program – to bring treatment to those who otherwise could not afford it. Learn More
Insurance: File the claim yourself
Do have insurance but are unable to find a physician who will accept your plan?
You can file the claim directly with your insurer. Many patients have done this and
received direct reimbursement. Most insurance providers will happily provide you
with the necessary forms and instructions while some companies will need
persistent inquiries. But don’t think that just because your doctor doesn’t accept
your insurance that you can’t get reimbursed. This website by HBO has some
great information on how to get your insurer to pay.
Seven Ways to Find Buprenorphine Treatment
Once you have made the decision to talk with a doctor about buprenorphine treatment,
you will find not all doctors can prescribe it. In fact only about 18,000 of the 700,000 U.S.
physicians (2.6%) have the necessary credentials to prescribe buprenorphine for
addiction. In addition those who can prescribe have further limits on how many patients
they can treat.
To become certified doctors must take an 8-hour course and file a request. This can be
done online. See http://www.naabt.org/providers.cfm#pc You can ask your doctor to
become certified.
Click Here for the Seven Ways to Find Buprenorphine Treatment
Did you receive something similar to this?
NAABT has an imposter – A cowardly opponent of evidence-based medical treatment for
addiction recently mailed out misinformation about buprenorphine misrepresenting himself
by posing as us (NAABT,Inc.) Apparently he was attempting to add some credibility to
his unsupported theories, misunderstandings and accusations by associating it with our
name instead of his own.
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