TREATMENT AND MEDICATION
Explore and rethink common narratives around treatment and medication, including emergency response and chronic health management. This section offers resources and insights to help reporters better understand these complex topics, preparing them to report with depth and clarity.
Negative media narratives often frame FDA-approved treatments for opioid use disorder, like methadone and buprenorphine, as problematic, contributing to stigma and underuse. In contrast, research supports these medications as the "gold standard of care," reducing overdose risks by over 50% and improving treatment outcomes.
Media reports often claim that fentanyl overdoses are resistant to naloxone, but this is a myth. Naloxone can reverse overdoses involving synthetic opioids, including fentanyl, though timely administration and potentially higher doses are critical for effectiveness.
Media suggests that increased access to naloxone encourages riskier behavior or so-called "Narcan parties," despite no evidence supporting these claims. In reality, naloxone is a life-saving opioid antagonist endorsed by health authorities, with no indication that its availability leads to more dangerous drug use.
Media frequently frames prescription opioids as a direct path to heroin use, highlighting risks while downplaying benefits and confusing addiction with dependence. However, when used responsibly, opioid therapy can significantly improve quality of life. Policies that overly restrict prescriptions can have harmful consequences for those who rely on them for effective pain management.
Media often stigmatizes patients by labeling them as "drug seekers" or "doctor shoppers," oversimplifying the complexities of their situations. Such framing discourages people from seeking help and may push them towards dangerous, unregulated drug sources, highlighting the need for health care and supportive treatment over punitive measures.
Media portrays jail as an effective setting for treating substance use, but most correctional facilities do not provide adequate medical care. Without access to FDA-approved medications, treatment is often insufficient, putting individuals at greater risk of fatal overdose after release.