Readers weigh in on opioid epidemic

In his guest editorial, Dr. Unger urged family physicians to treat patients who are addicted to opioids with buprenorphine. It’s a shame that so few of us do so.

Patients who are addicted to opioids are no more difficult to treat than patients with diabetes, yet we, as family physicians, often fail to fulfill our basic duty to respond to their illness. Using buprenorphine to help a patient who is addicted to opioids achieve sobriety is highly effective. And treating these patients is amazingly satisfying, as you’ll never have more grateful patients than these.

I began integrating buprenorphine treatment into my family practice 10 years ago. It has made me much more effective in treating my patients who are addicted to alcohol, and it has provided me with a great deal of personal satisfaction in the latter part of my career.

I challenge all family physicians to step up and do their duty to help combat the opioid epidemic.

David A. Moore, MD
Salt Lake City, Utah