The opioid that's saving lives in Nashville

While doctors are prescribing fewer and fewer opioids, there’s one that’s not going away – buprenorphine, often known by its brand name of Suboxone. Compared to other narcotics, it's harder to abuse. It’s far less dangerous than the synthetic street drugs. And it reduces the risk of overdosing. But it’s still an opioid that is very hard to get off of. The number of Tennesseans prescribed these opioids as addiction treatment jumped by 40% in just five years. As we look this week at all sides of a philosophy known as “harm reduction,” today we focus on access to the opioids meant to get us out of the opioid crisis.

Guests

Leslie Cole, MD, addiction physician, Springfield, Tenn.

Josh Draper, program manager, Sumner Prevention Coalition

Tracy Frame, PharmD, professor of pharmacy practice and director of the Flourish Mobile Clinic, Belmont University

Chap Cuthbert, community response peer support, Mental Health Cooperative