Pubdate: Sat, 11 May 2002 Source: Baltimore Sun (MD) Copyright: 2002 The Baltimore Sun, a Times Mirror Newspaper. Contact: http://www.sunspot.net/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/37 Author: Tony Tommasello Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n732/a04.html OFFICE-BASED CARE CAN AID MORE ADDICTS In his column "Few argue about need for drug treatment -- but many argue about where" (April 14), Michael Olesker identified one of the critical issues in drug treatment: We need more, but under current policies we are hard-pressed to expand treatment. The outdated Harrison Narcotics Act prevents physicians from prescribing Schedule II narcotics for the treatment of addiction. As a consequence, the few physicians with experience treating these patients are those who work in the regulated specialty clinics. But as Mr. Olesker stated: "If we believe in treatment of addicts, then treat them in a doctor's office." Indeed, this approach is being researched and showing success. Experiments with office-based treatment show drug addicts can be treated successfully by physicians who take the time to learn how to do so. And two years ago, Congress and the president saw that private physicians can help solve the treatment shortage and passed the Drug Addiction Treatment Act of 2000. This law allows physicians in private practice to prescribe narcotics that have less potential for abuse than such Schedule II drugs as morphine or Demerol and are approved for the treatment of heroin addicts by the Food and Drug Administration. Thousands of physicians have completed the continuing education courses required under the law and are waiting for the FDA to approve the first drug for this purpose. The tens of thousands of narcotics addicts in our state live, work, see doctors and have prescriptions filled with the rest of us. They become a source of contention when they are corralled into treatment programs. Let's instead recognize that they are part of the community of patients, and encourage our health policy planners to embrace the concept of office-based drug treatment. Tony Tommasello Baltimore The writer is a professor at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy. - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Stevens