>>>
>>> WELCOME BACK TO THE NEWS AT NOON.
NOON.
NOON. IN
NOON. IN TODAY'S HEALTH ALERT,
ACCORDING TO THE CENTERS FOR
DISEASE CONTROL, EVERY DAY,
MORE THAN 150 PEOPLE DIE FROM
AN OPIOID OVERDOSE.
THERE IS NO SOLUTION TO THE
OPIOID CRISIS, NO ONE SOLUTION,
BUT A LOCAL DOCTOR BELIEVES IT
STARTS WITH4@ PHYSICIANS ADOPTI
A DIFFERENT MINDSET, SEEING
OPIOID ABUSE NOT AS A MORAL
FAILING, BUT AS A CHRONIC
ILLNESS THAT CAN RESPOND TO
MEDICATION -ASSISTED TREATMENT.
>> I DON'T WANT ROSA TO BE AN
AD.
AD.
AD. --
AD. -- AN
AD. -- AN ADDICT.
>> Reporter: ADDICTION TO COLD
ONCE SHE STARTED USING DRUGS TO
EASE TH4@E PAIN OF REPEATED
PHYSICAL ABUSE, TEEN ALCOHOLISM
AND BEING HOMELESS ON THE
STREETS OF 4@DC BY AGE 22.
>> I WENT FROM ALCOHOL TO LOW
VOTE TO CRACK COCAINE, AND FROM
CRACK COCAINE TO HEROIN.
>> Reporter: NOT EVEN A NEAR
FATAL KIDNEY AILMENT STOPPED
HER FROM USING.
>> I DIDN'T CARE.
I JUST KNEW IT WAS SOMETHING TO
MAKE ME FEEL GOOD.
I PACIFIED MY FEELINGS.
>> Reporter: HER DOWNWARD
SPIRAL CAME TO AN END 2 YEARS
AGO THANKS TO A SUPPORT GROUP
AND THE DOCTOR.
>> HE WAS VERY SUPPOR4@TIVE.
HE UNDERSTOOD.
HE UNDERSTOOD. I COULD TALK TO HIM4@4@.
>> Reporter: DR. CHAPMAN, HEAD
OF MEDICAL HOME DEVELOPMENT
GROUP IN NORTHEAST DC HAD HEARD
STORIES LIKE HERS MANY TIMES
BEFORE.
BEFORE.
BEFORE. HE SEES IT NOT AS A MORAL
FAILING BUT A MORE COMPLEX
PSYCHOLOGICAL ILLNESS.
PSYCHOLOGICAL ILLNESS. >> BEING HO4@MELESS, GROWING UP
IN AN ENVIRONMENT WITH NO
ELECTRICITY OR WITH VIOLENCE IN
THE HOME, ALL OF THAT4@ WOULD B
CONSIDERED TOXIC STRESS.
YOU HAVE ALL OF THE
PRESCRIPTIONS.
PRESCRIPTIONS. THE CURRENT EPIDEMIC IS
PRIMARILY STARTED WITH
PRESCRIPTION MEDICATION.
PRESCRIPTION MEDICATION. THAT'S HOW THE EPIDEMIC REALLY
STARTED.
STARTED.
STARTED. >> Reporter:4@ HE IS TALKING 4@
ABOUT AFRICAN-AMERICANS LIVING
IN INNER-CITY.
IN INNER-CITY. THEY ARE DYING OF4@ A FASTER RA
THAN WHITES IN RURAL AMERICA
WHERE THE CRISIS BEGAN.
IN THE DISTRICT LAST YEAR,
NEARLY 80% OF OPIOID OVERDOSE
DEATHS WERE AMONG BLACK MEN IN
WARDS 7 AND 8, THE KILLER WAS
FENTANYL.
FENTANYL.
FENTANYL. >> WE HAD A RELATIVELY STABLE
GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS WHO KNEW
WHAT THEY WERE4@, PRETTY MUCH
KNEW WHAT THEY WERE TAKING WITH
THE HEROIN THAT WAS OUT THERE,
BUT NOW WITH THIS ADDED
SYNTHETIC, THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT
THEY ARE GETTING.
WE 4@HAVE HAD FOR 50 YEARS, BUT
IT WAS A MORAL PROBLEM.
NOW THAT IT HAS 4@IMPACTED THE
LARGER COMMUNITY, IT IS
RECOGNIZED AS A DISEASE. 4@
>> DR. CHAPMAN TREATS ADDICTION
LIKE ANY OTHER DISEASE OR 4@
CHRONIC ILLNESS, WITH
MEDICATION.
MEDICATION. HE IS DEA CERTIFIED TO PRESCRIBE
4@AN 4@OPIOID BLOCKER.
>> WE ARE SEEING A 70 -- 78%
ONE YEAR RETENTION RATE WHICH
IS EXTRAORDINARY.
IS EXTRAORDINARY. >> Reporter: DESIREE TOWNSEND4@
A RECOVERING ADDICT WHO SERVED
TIME FOR SELLING DRUGS 4@SAID T@
THE MEDICATION PLUS COUNSELING
HAS KEPT HER CLEAN AND SOBER
SINCE 2013.
SINCE 2013. >> I AM VERY HAPPY AND
UNFOCUSED.
UNFOCUSED. I KNOW WHAT I WANT 4@IN LIFE.
WHAT NECK DR. CHAPMAN CAN ONLY
PRESCRIBE THE DRUG TO 275
PATIENTS ANNUALLY BECAUSE OF
FEDERAL PROVIDER TREATMENT CAPS
TO AVOID4@ 4@ILLICIT USE.
BUT RECOVERY AT HIS NORTHEAST
CLINIC IS MORE THAN JUST
TREATING SUBSTANCE ABUSE.
IT ALSO SERVES AS A GATEWAY FOR
PATIENTS TO REGULARLY ACCESS
CR4@ITICAL HEAL4@THCARE AND 4@S
SERVICES NEEDS EVEN THROUGH
TELEMEDICINE. 4@
TELEMEDICINE. 4@ >> IT CURRENT ACTS -- IT4@
CONNECTS THE DOTS AND WE SEE
WHAT THE DIAGNOSIS IS.
IT IS TREATABLE.
WE DON'T HAVE TO SUFFER IN THIS
MANNER.4@4@
MANNER.4@4@ >> Reporter: HIS TREATMENT IS
COVERED BY