These chronic addicts would need medical treatments to decrease their dependence to drugs. Aside from health benefits this too will improve their social standing in the society. For an opiate dependent, Suboxone is the best option that would cure the dependency.

To be able to use Suboxone to treat opioid dependence, a physician must submit a letter of intent to the Secretary of Health and Human Services. Further, these physicians must be able to meet the qualifying requirements of the Drug Addiction Treatment Act of 2000.

So how does a qualified physician undertake a Suboxone therapy? Suboxone would hardly ever be effective if the prescription is simply given to the patient as close monitoring is needed to insure that the right dosage is given. At the onset of the treatment, the patient will be interviewed to determine the level of opioid dependence. Induction instructions will be given during this interview. On the day of induction, the patient has to be in a mild opiate withdrawal state. Suboxone has to be administered in increasing dosage every few hours until the withdrawal symptoms receded. The patient will have to stay in the treatment facility for the entire day. The last dosage of Suboxone for the day will be given only when the patient is comfortable and not feeling any withdrawal symptoms for an extended period of time. The patient may then be allowed to go home. The patient has to return the following day for the second treatment session. If the first dosage is found to be sufficient, it will be used by the patient for a time. The dosage will be tapered until the dependence is totally eliminated. Basically this Suboxone therapy will take three to five months.

Suboxone is dubbed as the miracle drug that can effectively cure opiate dependence. However, it should be understood that there are underlying concerns that would drive a person to be a drug dependent. Some may be considered accidental addicts who used drugs as pain management while others may have deliberately chosen opiate to conform to peer pressure. What ever the case may be, it should be understood that drug dependence carries with it health related risks that can have lifelong negative results.