Medication Assisted Treatment

You don’t have to struggle alone. Get help now.

Call us at (360) 565-0999 and ask for the Medication Assisted Treatment Team. Olympic Medical Center providers, nurses, nurse care managers and patient care navigators are committed to helping you.

Referral requests are confidential and are handled by a nurse care manager who will review and then contact you for an assessment. You do not need to be a patient of Olympic Medical Physicians to receive an initial medication-assisted treatment consultation, and no doctor referral is needed.

Person helping another reach the top of a steep mountain

What is Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT)?

MAT is a clinically proven treatment approach that uses medication at appropriate doses, plus counseling, with the goal of maintaining treatment and long-term recovery.

MEDICATIONS such as methadone, buprenorphine/naloxone (Suboxone), and Vivitrol (naltrexone) are used to:

Help manage the physical symptoms of withdrawal, cravings and rewarding effects of opioids.
Address the physical changes opioid addiction caused in the brain.

These are medications that, when taken as prescribed, reduce withdrawal and control cravings without the sense of “high” that comes from illicit opioids.

COUNSELING is recommended and helps improve your recovery success. Medications manage physical symptoms to help you focus on counseling, which:

Helps you manage behaviors, thoughts and emotions so you can work on recovery.
Addresses the behavioral aspects of opioid addiction. Doing this can have positive effects emotionally and physically.

RESOURCES are available to help you overcome many barriers that may discourage you from seeking treatment and working toward your recovery.

Care you can trust

I sincerely believe it takes a special kind of RN to do the MAT Program. My nurse is professional and kind, caring, empathetic and highly knowledgeable about the disease of addiction and treatment. I can open up without being judged!

I was in a horrible work accident and, after multiple surgeries, I became addicted to pain pills. My nurse was extremely knowledgeable about addiction and for me as an addict struggling with life. She made me feel ‘human’ again.

My visits are always 100% motivating and definitely make me want to prove to myself that I will succeed in life.

My MAT nurse is absolutely incredible. I’ve been sober for almost two months. She listens to me and actually cares about what I’m saying. She helps solve so many of my issues. I absolutely owe her my life. She does not shame me in any way and I can always be honest with her.

The Lowdown on Opioids

Opioids, known as narcotics, include prescription pain medications like Vicodin. OxyContin, Percocet, Ultram, morphine, methadone, oxycodone, hydrocodone, fentanyl, codeine and tramadol. The illegal drug heroine is also an opioid. Continued use of opioids comes with serious risks, including physical dependence, increased symptoms of depression, and opioid overdose, which can lead to sudden death. Risk of overdose is increased when opioids are combined with alcohol, benzodiazepines, other sedatives and other opioids.

What is Opioid Use Disorder?

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition describes opioid use disorder as a problematic pattern of opioid use leading to problems or distress. Opioid use disorder has several unique factors that separate it from other substance use disorders. Opioids can lead to physical dependence in as little as four to eight weeks of continued use. (Saxon, Renner, Greenfield, & Aoun, 2018) In chronic use, abrupt discontinuance can result in severe symptoms of withdrawal which is manifested through reports of generalized pain, chills, cramping, diarrhea, dilated pupils, restlessness, anxiety, nausea, vomiting, insomnia, and very intense cravings. The severity of these symptoms decreases motivation to discontinue using opioids.

At Olympic Medical Physicians, we recognize the need to support and advocate for people in the community who are battling with opioid use disorder. Medication-assisted treatment is offered on site using medications to help manage the disorder while working within a behavioral health model to gain control over the triggers (ie; pain, depression, stressors) leading to continued use of the opioid.

References:

Saxon, A., MD, Renner, J., MD, Greenfield, S., MD, & Aoun, E. G., MD. (2018, November). Opioid Use Disorder. Retrieved May 2, 2019, from https://www.psychiatry.org