LITTLE ROCK (KATV) — The opioid epidemic continues to challenge Arkansas, with many residents struggling to overcome addiction.
Kyle Brewer, who became addicted to opioids getting his wisdom teeth taken out, shared his journey from addiction to recovery.
“I had destroyed everything in my life. I was essentially homeless,” Brewer said. He has been sober for nearly a decade, but recently faced a challenge with less-addictive pain management options.
Brewer noted the cost disparity between opioids and safer alternatives, saying, “My biggest fear is that there are many people that may not have the money to pay that, so they’re faced with that option of suffering, coming up with the money, or taking the risk.”
Dr. Johnathan Goree, a professor of anesthesiology at UAMS, is researching alternatives to opioids.
“As we’ve seen over the past 20 years, that opioids unfortunately have some side effects that actually can hurt patients,” Goree said.
He emphasized the need for smarter use of opioids, but not to completely get rid of them. His team is currently researching alternatives like new medications and even implantable devices with electricity to control pain.
Representative DeAnne Vaught has been active in the legislature, recently passing the Pain Parity Act, which requires the state’s Medicaid program to treat non-opioid pain medications equally.
“This isn’t just about policy. This is about people’s lives,” Vaught said. However, this policy does not affect private insurance, prompting Vaught to consider further legislation.
“Let it be at the doctor and the patient’s decision together as to which medicines that they should be using. So if insurance isn’t willing to just come on board, I’ll write a piece of legislation that dictates they must also allow this to be prescribed with no prior authorization,” said Vaught.
Senator John Boozman expressed support for expanding non-opioid pain management options. He sent us the following statement:
Opioids pose a deadly threat to communities across Arkansas and we must continue combating dependence and addiction while supporting those in recovery. Expanding non-opioid pain management options after medical treatments and surgery is a productive approach that I have been proud to support, including the NO PAIN Act that was signed into law in 2022 to increase access to non-opioid pain treatments for seniors as well as the Alternatives to PAIN Act to reduce their share of costs for non-addictive medications. I will continue working in a bipartisan way to help address the opioid crisis and promote safe, effective therapies for patients in our state and nationwide.
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