If you or someone you love has opioid use disorder (OUD) and needs to find addiction treatment at a Suboxone® Clinic in Somerdale, NJ, please inform them that treatment is available close to home. At Somerdale Treatment Services we help people diagnosed with the following opioid-related substance use disorders:
- Heroin addiction
- Opioid addiction
- Prescription opioid addiction
- Fentanyl addiction
The opioid overdose crisis in the United States is in its third decade, and no one in our country is immune. Rich, poor, young, old, white, black, Hispanic – this crisis has had a negative impact on every demographic group, with no exceptions. In order to address the crisis and the ongoing yearly increase in opioid overdose deaths, providers offer a life-changing, lifesaving approach to treatment called medication-assisted treatment (MAT) with medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD).
What is a Suboxone® Clinic?
A suboxone clinic is a treatment center that’s licensed and approved by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to use MAT to treat patients with OUD.
MAT programs use three medications, depending on their licensure and patient needs:
- Buprenorphine
- Methadone
- Naltrexone
Suboxone® clinics specialize in treating patients with OUD with Suboxone®, a medication that contains buprenorphine and naltrexone. Our Suboxone® Clinic in Somerdale, NJ treats patients with Suboxone® every day. Data shows MAT with Suboxone® is the most effective treatment available for people the lives of people with opioid use disorder.
Suboxone® Clinic in Somerdale NJ: Treatment for Heroin Addiction and Fentanyl Addiction
We mention above that the DEA and FDA approved three medications for OUD: methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone. Suboxone® is a specific formulation of buprenorphine and naltrexone that’s designed to maximize the benefits of treatment and reduce risk of relapse and overdose.
Buprenorphine: What You Need to Know
Buprenorphine works by occupying receptors in our brain called opioid receptors. Because buprenorphine has a partial affinity for opioid receptors, it’s known as a partial opioid agonist. It occupies the receptors, but it’s not a perfect fit. However, it prevents other opioids from binding to the the receptors, which prevents them from causing the euphoria associated with opioid. It not only prevents euphoric effects, but also reduces the intensity of withdrawal symptoms, and decreases the severity of opioid cravings.
Naltrexone: What You Need to Know
Whereas buprenorphine is called a partial opioid receptor agonist because it partially occupies opioid receptors in the brain, naltrexone is called an opioid receptor antagonist because it completely prevents any opioid – illicit, prescription, or other – from occupying opioid receptors. If naltrexone is in the bloodstream, opioids don’t work at all, in any way. In addition, if a person takes naltrexone while using any opioid, it can cause that person to enter opioid withdrawal. In this way, the naltrexone acts as a deterrent for the use of other opioids, and the diversion or improper use of Suboxone®.
Why MAT? Harm Reduction Improves Heroin Addiction, Fentanyl Addiction Treatment
The harm reduction approach to addiction treatment is not new, but it wasn’t widely utilized in the U.S. until the 2010s, when policymakers nationwide realized our old approach to drug addiction and treatment – loosely known as The War on Drugs – wasn’t working.
Harm reduction began around thirty years ago in Europe. In countries like Portugal, France, and the Netherlands, several types of programs appeared, including:
- Medication-assisted treatment programs
- Clean syringe programs
- Naloxone access programs
The success of these programs in reducing overdose rates and increasing treatment adherence got the attention of lawmakers in the U.S. While officials implemented the first harm reduction programs in California in 2019 – aside from methadone clinics in New York City – the State of New Jersey approved a group of harm reduction measures in 2022. These new measures allowed state and local providers to initiate programs specifically to reduce harm caused by opioid addiction.
Here’s how New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy described the legislation:
“Harm reduction is a cornerstone of our strategy, and through this legislation, we are paving the way for long-overdue expansion of…critical services to help people with substance use disorders stay healthy, stay alive, and thrive. These bills…will strengthen our ability to save lives and further our commitment to ending the opioid crisis in New Jersey.”
New Jersey passed this legislation based on a continuously growing body of evidence that shows the following benefits of MAT with suboxone. Treatment for heroin or fentanyl addiction with Suboxone® can:
Improve treatment adherence:
- Suboxone® treatment helps people stay in treatment longer.
Reduce drug use:
- People in treatment with Suboxone® take opioids less frequently.
Reduce illegal activity:
- Suboxone® treatment is associated with a decrease in criminal behavior.
Help with work:
- Patients in programs at Suboxone® clinics have a greater capacity to find and keep a job.
Help with relationships:
- Suboxone® treatment allows people to engage in healthy family and peer interactions.
Reduce overdose rates:
- People in suboxone treatment are at reduced risk of overdose.
Save lives:
- People with opioid use disorder (OUD) in MAT programs live longer than people with OUD who do not engage in MAT.
Pinnacle Treatment Centers: Comprehensive Heroin Addiction Treatment
When a patient engages in treatment at Somerdale Treatment Services, they don ‘t just receive medication. Pinnacle clinicians design a treatment plan around what will work best for each patient. In addition to medication, treatment plans at our Suboxone® Clinic in Somerdale NJ may include:
- Full clinical evaluation
- Educational workshops
- Individual counseling
- Group counseling
- Family counseling
- Relapse prevention
- Medication management
The specific components of each treatment plan depend on the individual, their treatment history, the outcome of their clinical evaluation, and treatment goals. At Somerdale Treatment Services, we also offer special services for pregnant patients.
Finding Heroin or Fentanyl Addiction Treatment in Somerdale NJ
If you’re seeking treatment at a Suboxone® Clinic in Somerdale, NJ, please email of call our providers at Somerdale Treatment Services.
Additional resources for opioid addiction are available here:
- Addiction Treatment Providers -Treatment Directory Application (rutgers.edu)
- If you don’t have insurance: 1-844 ReachNJ.GOV at (844) 732-2465
- Call Rutgers University for emergency support or referrals to treatment services:
- Call (844) 276-2777
- Phones are staffed 24/7/365
- Nationwide Resource: SAMHSA treatment finder
Research over the past several decades tells us that the earlier an individual with opioid use disorder, heroin addiction, or fentanyl addiction receives evidence-based treatment with a gold-standard therapeutic approach like MAT, the better chance they have of achieving long-term, sustainable recovery.
The Opioid Crisis: Facts and Figures for the U.S. and Camden County, NJ
Since the beginning of the opioid overdose crisis in 1999, over a million people in the U.S. have died of fatal drug overdose. Almost ¾ of those fatalities involved opioids. Some fatalities involved illicit opioids like heroin, others involved misuse of prescription opioids, and still others involved synthetic opioids such as fentanyl.
Here’s the big-picture, nationwide data from the past 25 years:
Trends in Overdose Death, 2001-2022
- 2001: 19,394
- 2006: 34,415
- 2011: 41,340
- 2016: 63,632
- 2021: 106,699
- 2022: 108,388
That’s an overall increase of 458 percent, and overdose fatalities from opioids continue to increase. That’s why we remain committed to providing gold-standard, life-changing treatment for OUD at our Suboxone® Clinics in Somerdale NJ: MAT with Suboxone®.
Now let’s narrow the focus to the past five years. Here’s the latest data on overdose fatalities in the U.S., published by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
Overdose Deaths in the United States 2018-2022
- 2018: 67,850
- 2019: 71,130
- 2020: 92,478
- 2021: 106,699
- 2022: 108,388
That’s an increase of 60 percent over five years, which means we still have work to do. The data for Somerdale, where we operate Somerdale Treatment Services, is available online on the New Jersey Opioid Dashboard and /or the NJ Cares Opioid-Related Data website.
Here’s the most recent data, up to May 7th, 2024:
Need for Suboxone® Clinics in Somerdale NJ: Overdose in Camden County 2018-2024
- 2018: 327
- 2019: 340
- 2020: 288
- 2021: 335
- 2022: 354
- 2023: 326
- 2024: 84
This final set of data shows we’re beginning to make progress. We need to qualify that, however. By progress, we mean we’re almost back to where we were pre-pandemic, which is progress, but it’s not enough. One overdose fatality is one too many. At our Suboxone® Clinic in Somerdale NJ, we’ll continue to offer MAT with Suboxone®, alongside therapy, counseling, peer support, and a range of services designed to promote long-term, sustainable recovery.
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