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Authorities nationwide are reporting an uptick in fatal opioid overdoses during social distancing

Around the country Americans are dealing with the stresses of our new realities in different ways. For those recovering from opiate addiction the daily struggle of maintaining “stability” is already hard enough without a global pandemic to turn up the heat. Some quotes from the Daily Beast:

Around her, people idled in their cars or stood in a smoking area until the doctor called them inside via text message. The process to get treatment took nearly four hours. “I was worried COVID might escalate more. I didn’t want to be dependent on something that I wouldn’t be able to get all of a sudden,” said the 30-year-old, who asked to be identified only by her middle name. “I kind of weaned myself off Suboxone. That led to an overdose.”

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) said providers can now prescribe buprenorphine over the phone, though this exemption doesn’t apply to methadone. OTPs can also provide take-home medications, up to 14 doses for “clinically less stable” patients and 28 doses for stable patients.

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