EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — Taking the first step to begin drug treatment is an uphill battle, but what can be more difficult is sticking to a diet that works.

That’s what Recovery Alliance patient Colette Thompson said is the hardest part of staying on track: maintaining the prescription.

“Taking a medication every day, walking around with it, finding a clinic and getting a prescription is very difficult,” Thompson said.

That’s why her doctors put her on Vivitrol, an FDA-approved treatment method for opioid and alcohol use disorders.

Alkermes, the drug’s manufacturer, explained that Vivitrol is an extended-release version of naltrexone that works by blocking opioid and alcohol receptors, thereby removing the pleasure associated with taking these substances.

According to the prescribing information, it lasts about 30 days and then needs to be re-injected.

Vivitrol is one of several medically assisted treatment options for drug addiction.

According to prescription descriptions for the other two options, methadone and Suboxone, they are administered daily in pill or liquid form. Both of these options also only partially disrupt opioid receptors and have minor euphoric effects. Additionally, they do not treat alcohol addiction, which is why Vivitrol is a more comprehensive option.

However, providers KFOX14/CBS4 spoke with said Vivitrol can be difficult to access for one of three reasons: price, provider’s lack of knowledge and the extent of the patient’s addiction to opioids.

Guillermo Valenzuela of Aliviane, one of El Paso’s oldest treatment centers, serves 250 clients on an ongoing basis and more than 150 people annually in its residential program.

He said Vivitrol is not a popular choice at the center because of the underinsured population it serves.

“I’m talking about the fact that in the last two years we’ve seen maybe four, maybe five people go down this path. And as far as I know, cost was a huge factor in the decision. » said Valenzuela.

According to the makers of Vivitrol, each injection sells for $1,641.11.

However, Dr. Wayne Thornburg of Emergence Health Network said patients don’t always pay that much, with some patients paying as little as $5 a month through insurance and copayment programs.

One of these programs is the Vivitrol program togetherThrough the program, manufacturers said, patients are assigned a social worker to lower the price of Vivitrol for them.

Dr. Thornburg said many providers are unaware of these options.

“I think a lot of individuals and providers may or may not want to go down those routes, and I think that’s what limits access to resources.” Said Dr. Thornburg.

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Vivitrol makers also said Medicare expansion plays a role in states’ decisions to use Vivitrol as an option.

Lack of state funding is also an issue Valenzuela mentioned.

However, what he wants above all is accountability from pharmaceutical companies. He said: “There needs to be common ground on the part of pharmaceutical companies, especially those who have a large responsibility for the opioid crisis, to come to the table they need to fund treatment of the problem that they caused. »

Besides financing, another obstacle Vivitrol manufacturers said they have encountered is that providers don’t know how to sign up and be listed as a provider on their website.

They said suppliers must fill out a form to be listed on their website as a Vivitrol supplier. In El Paso, the only provider listed is Albertsons Pharmacy. However, KFOX14/CBS4 spoke to at least two providers who are not listed on the website: Emergence Health Network and Aliviane.

When asked why they were not listed on the website as providers, these establishments responded that they did not know they had to join the mapping system.

Another reason Dr. Thornburg said he avoids Vivitrol as a treatment option is that for opioid users who use stronger drugs, like fentanyl, it is difficult to fully detox on their own. .

Detoxification is a prerequisite for using Vivitrol because it can intensify dangerous withdrawal symptoms if administered while a patient is still using it.

Additionally, the Vivitrol website warns that if patients relapse after stopping Vivitrol, their tolerance will be reduced and the risk of overdose will be higher. The manufacturers have stated that detoxification and overdose risk are not issues for patients taking Vivitrol for alcohol addiction.

An even bigger problem, Dr. Thornburg said, is that stronger opioids make it difficult for patients to successfully transition to medically assisted treatment. Limit all treatment options for these patients.

However, at Recovery Alliance, medically assisted treatment saves lives.

Mario Mendoza, director of Recovery Alliance or Casa Vida, said participating in the revolving door of recovery gives people a job and a purpose.

He details his experience as an alcoholic living on the streets. He said his brother found him at a homeless shelter and he went to rehab at one of the centers in El Paso.

He said many other Recovery Alliance employees have experienced similar journeys.

Valenzuela at Aliviane said treatment for addiction begins with treating the underlying trauma that causes it.

“If you want to live a healthy life, if you want to have the chance to be with your loved ones and enjoy the quality of life that you’re meant to live, you’re going to have to work on your part,” Valenzuela said.

Explore addiction treatment options Aliviane, Emergency Health NetworkOr Recovery Alliancein El Paso, click these links.

To connect with someone to talk, day or night, call 988 or CLICK HERE.

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