Medication Assisted Treatment
Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT Tx)
We provide medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for individuals struggling with opiate
addiction to drugs such as Oxycontin, Oxycodone, Fentanyl and Heroin.
First Coast Community Wellness Services (FCCWS) aims to treat the “whole-patient” with the use of FDA-approved medication such as Suboxone® (Buprenorphine) and Naloxone. Combined with counseling, and behavioral therapy, these medications help to alleviate symptoms of withdrawal and cravings, allowing the patient to work on positive behavior changes.
Buprenorphine
Buprenorphine is an opioid partial agonist. When taken as prescribed, buprenorphine is
safe and effective. Buprenorphine has unique pharmacological properties that help:
Diminish the effects of physical dependency to opioids, such as withdrawal
symptoms and cravings
Increase safety in cases of overdose
Lower the potential for misuse
Naloxone
Naloxone is a medication approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
designed to rapidly reverse opioid overdose. It is an opioid antagonist—meaning
that it binds to opioid receptors and can reverse and block the effects of other
opioids, such as such as heroin, morphine, and oxycodone. Administered when a
patient is showing signs of opioid overdose, naloxone is a temporary treatment
and its effects do not last long. Therefore, it is critical to obtain medical
intervention as soon as possible after administering/receiving naloxone.
Additional Information
There are many benefits to Medication-assisted treatment. Evidence from research shows the use of both medication and therapy can successfully treat opioid addiction, and for some people suffering with addiction, MAT can help maintain long-term recovery. In other instances, MAT is also used to prevent or reduce opioid overdose. In fact, the combination of approved medication with professional counseling is considered the Gold Standard for treatment of opioid addiction.
MAT is primarily used to treat addiction to opioids such as heroin and prescription pain
relievers that contain opiates. The prescribed medications, such as Suboxone or Naloxone, are designed to balance brain chemistry, relieve physiological cravings, block the euphoric effects of alcohol and opioids and restore healthy body functions without the negative and euphoric effects of the substance used.
FDA approved Suboxone and Subutex are used to treat opioid use disorders to short-acting opioids such as heroin, morphine, and codeine, as well as semi-synthetic opioids like oxycodone and hydrocodone.