‘Life-and-death situation’: C.O. treatment programs discuss impacts of rise in fentanyl addiction, overdoses
(Update: Adding video, comments from local treatment programs)
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Deschutes County declared a state of emergency Wednesday due to the sharp increase in fentanyl overdoses. As the issue causes more tragic outcomes and draws a brighter spotlight, we took a look at the impacts local treatment centers face.
"Being able to give back -- there's so many people that don't get the opportunity to get recovery, and right now it is a life-and-death situation," Shawnda Jennings, Ideal Option's peer support outreach specialist, said Wednesday.
Ideal Option in Bend, an outpatient clinic, treats people with addiction to fentanyl, alcohol and methamphetamine. The clinic primarily had treated heroin users but has seen a spike in fentanyl.
It started with pills, then moved on to fentanyl powder.
Ideal Option nurse practitioner Diana Everly said, "The things that happen in the bigger cities kind of trickle down here. It just becomes accepted."
Everly said she sees about 20 patients a day for opioid use disorder, primarily fentanyl.
A small percentage of fentanyl pills have xylazine in them. But now there's an increased amount of xylazine in the fentanyl powder.
Xylazine is used as a tranquilizer in veterinary medicine. It makes fentanyl stronger and the effects last longer.
In treatment, Suboxone is primarily prescribed. It contains a deterrent for opioid use disorders, treating withdrawal symptoms.
The medical director of BestCare Treatment Services in Redmond, Billie Cartwright, said fentanyl patients spiked in 2020 and continue to frequent the clinic.
"It's just, the disease has gotten much more severe," Cartwright said. "It would be the equivalent of a diabetic whose pancreas stops producing insulin, and they just have a much more severe profile than before."
Medication is also used to treat addiction at BestCare, along with counseling services. The clinic has seen more fentanyl overdoses and overdose deaths, which used to be rare.
"It's harder to help patients stabilize and help them see stabilized than it was when heroin was the predominant drug," Cartwright said.
Stigma is the biggest barrier when it comes to treatment. And if you're in need of help, BestCare and Ideal Option offers walks-ins for patients, Monday through Friday.
Here are the hours for both clinics:
BEND:
BestCare Treatment Services Addiction Medicine Clinic (Buprenorphine)
908 NE 4th Street, Suite 201, Bend, OR 97701
(541) 362-6023
Hours (including walk in): Mon-Thu 8am-6pm, Fri 8am-1pm
Ideal Option (Buprenorphine)
404 NE Penn Ave, Bend OR 97701
1-877-522-1275
Hours (including walk in): Monday-Thursday 7:30AM-6:00PM
REDMOND:
BestCare Treatment Services Addiction Medicine Clinic (Buprenorphine)
340 NW 5th Street, Suite 204, Redmond, OR 97756
(541) 480-6914
Hours (including walk in): Monday closed, Tues-Thurs 8am-5pm, Friday 8am-11pm
Ideal Option (Buprenorphine)
Redmond:
1228 NW Canal Blvd. Redmond, OR 97756
1-877-522-1275
Hours (including walk in): Monday-Thursday 7:30a-5:00p
