Physicians Are Key in Treatment of Opiate Users

Physicians need to be advocates for patients who are addicted to opiates and other substances.

Heroin is the leading drug of abuse in the Pittsburgh area, according to Melinda Campopiano, MD, a Pennsylvania Medical Society member and family physician from Allegheny County who focuses on addiction medicine.

Adolescent opiate use increased by 45 percent between 1999 and 2004. Heroin users are much more likely to have infectious diseases. Ninety percent of injection drug users have Hepatitis C, and 20 percent of new HIV infections are related to injection drug use.

Resources on diagnosis and treatment of opiate and other addictions are available at:

• The American Society of Addiction Medicine
• Clinical Guidelines for the Use of Buprenorphine in the Treatment of Opioid Addiction from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA)
• The White House Office of Drug Policy
• The International Center for Advancement of Addiction Treatment
• Physician Clinical Support System