The opioid treatment medications used to treat opioid addiction are becoming more and more popular among Americans, and some experts are worried that they are turning a new leaf.
The most common opioid overdose medications are fentanyl and hydromorphone, both of which can be administered as pills or as liquid or gel.
Both medications have long been touted as safe and effective treatments for pain and are considered the first line of defense against overdoses.
The new trend is for some patients to switch to hydromorbolide, a generic opioid that has never been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
But experts say that this move is a major step backwards for patients who are already suffering from opioid addiction.
“This has a profound effect on the health of our patients, and it’s an absolute disaster for us,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and a former senior medical adviser to President Donald Trump.
Fauci is the co-author of “Odd Medicine: A Pharmacist’s Guide to Medicines that Heal, Treat, and Prevent Harm.”
He is concerned that the opioid treatment industry is now becoming a “pill mill,” a term that he uses to describe a small group of pharmaceutical companies that produce and sell medications without any formal testing.
The opioid abuse epidemic has exploded in recent years, and Faucel is worried that this new trend could cause more Americans to overdose on the medications.
“If you think about it, we are seeing more and better and more common and more and worse drug abuse,” he said.
Families, especially in rural areas, are the hardest hit, as people often have no access to health care and little choice but to rely on medications.
The trend has also prompted many states to pass laws that restrict the number of prescriptions patients can receive for hydromorpramide, an alternative to opioids.
Facing the possibility of a crackdown from the FDA, many manufacturers of hydromormorphs are trying to find a way to remain legal, and many are using their newfound legal status to create new products and expand their sales.
In response, some manufacturers are using innovative tactics to protect their business.
Some companies have begun offering an option for patients to pay for hydropills, which are smaller, more portable, and less expensive.
“What they have done is made a product that is affordable and has the same benefits as an opiate,” said Michael Roper, executive director of the National Association of Convenience Stores.
Roper said he’s not surprised by the trend.
“I don’t think we’re going to be seeing a dramatic shift in the way we treat these drugs anytime soon,” he added.
In addition to hydropill, manufacturers of medications like methadone and buprenorphine are also seeking to get around the FDA restrictions.
Some of these new products are designed to lower the likelihood that patients will get addicted to a drug by providing a way for the patient to take an opioid without risking a criminal charge.
But Fauce said that even though these medications are safe, they are still dangerous and potentially addictive.
“There’s an issue that needs to be addressed with opioid prescriptions because if you don’t have the access to medication, you’re not going to get the medications you need,” he told Fox News.
“There’s a risk that they’re going off of the medication that you need, or that you’re going out and taking it yourself.”
He also pointed out that many states are also restricting the number and type of opioid painkillers that can be prescribed, which has led to a shortage of those medications.
For now, Faucion and others say that they will continue to take care of patients with opioid addiction until they can provide a treatment that will work for everyone.
“We can’t go back and look back at 2016 and say, ‘We’ve failed this patient,’ because we are all going to need treatment,” Fauca said.
“We’re all going in different directions.”
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