Title |
Why It’s Inappropriate Not to Treat Incarcerated Patients with Opioid Agonist Therapy
|
---|---|
Published in |
The AMA Journal of Ethic, September 2017
|
DOI | 10.1001/journalofethics.2017.19.9.stas1-1709 |
Pubmed ID | |
Authors |
Sarah E Wakeman |
Abstract |
Due to the criminalization of drug use and addiction, opioid use disorder is overrepresented in incarcerated populations. Decades of evidence supports opioid agonist therapy as a highly effective treatment that improves clinical outcomes and reduces illicit opioid use, overdose death, and cost. Opioid agonist therapy has been both studied within correctional facilities and initiated prerelease. It has been found to be beneficial, yet few incarcerated persons receive this evidence-based treatment. In addition to not offering treatment initiation for those who need it, most correctional facilities forcibly withdraw stable patients from opioid agonist therapy upon their entry into the criminal justice system. This approach limits their access to evidence-based health care and results in negative outcomes for individuals, communities, and society. |
X Demographics
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
United States | 47 | 52% |
Canada | 4 | 4% |
New Zealand | 1 | 1% |
Costa Rica | 1 | 1% |
Pakistan | 1 | 1% |
South Africa | 1 | 1% |
Unknown | 35 | 39% |
Demographic breakdown
Type | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Members of the public | 55 | 61% |
Practitioners (doctors, other healthcare professionals) | 17 | 19% |
Scientists | 15 | 17% |
Science communicators (journalists, bloggers, editors) | 2 | 2% |
Unknown | 1 | 1% |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Unknown | 50 | 100% |
Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Student > Ph. D. Student | 8 | 16% |
Student > Master | 7 | 14% |
Student > Bachelor | 5 | 10% |
Researcher | 4 | 8% |
Other | 4 | 8% |
Other | 10 | 20% |
Unknown | 12 | 24% |
Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Medicine and Dentistry | 13 | 26% |
Nursing and Health Professions | 7 | 14% |
Social Sciences | 6 | 12% |
Psychology | 3 | 6% |
Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 2 | 4% |
Other | 8 | 16% |
Unknown | 11 | 22% |