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Addiction Psychiatry

Since 1966, The University of Kansas Health System has offered outpatient opioid addiction treatment. We offer the most comprehensive medication-assisted treatment for opioid-use disorder in the Kansas City region, including all of the most effective medications. We are a federally licensed Opioid Treatment Program (OTP), and as such, offer additional legal protections designed to protect the confidentiality of those seeking treatment.
We accept pregnant women for methadone or buprenorphine medication-assisted treatment. These treatments may help stop drug use during pregnancy and are recommended by obstetricians.
We offer a variety of appointment types. Learn more or call 913-588-1227 to schedule now.
Medication-assisted treatments
A drug that can reverse an opioid overdose was recently approved by the FDA for sale over the counter. Naloxone, sold under the name Narcan, is a fast-acting nasal spray that acts as an antidote to an overdose. The manufacturer says the medication should be on store shelves by the end of summer 2023.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
The drug that can reverse an opioid overdose will soon be available over-the-counter. Naloxone sold under the name Narcan is a fast acting nasal spray, and this week the FDA approved it to be sold without a prescription. The company that makes it says it should be on the shelves by the end of this summer. Dr. Roopa Sethi joins us now. Dr. Sethi is an addiction psychiatrist here at the Health System. Good morning, how are you?
Dr. Roopa Sethi (00:26):
Doing well, thank you.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Good to see you. Thank you for sharing your information regarding this. You help people with addiction problems on a daily basis. Help us understand really right now how bad this opioid crisis is here in our country.
Dr. Roopa Sethi (00:40):
So right now we are in an opioid epidemic. More than 100,000 people died of overdose in general in 2021 in United States. And about 70,000 or more of these deaths were synthetic opioids or opioids related. And most of this opioid was fentanyl. In Kansas itself, we had more than 600 overdose deaths, which kind of talks about how big of a crisis we are in right now.
Speaker 1 (01:08):
Yeah. Dr. Sethi, I feel like I've heard you call it the opioid epidemic for so long. We look forward to calling it something else at some point. But Narcan is already used as we know by police and paramedics. So how helpful will it be to make this available to the public?
Dr. Roopa Sethi (01:23):
It will be very helpful to get Narcan available to the public. Think of it like an antidote to an overdose. If somebody has an allergy, we give, we have them have an EpiPen. So yes, the police and the paramedics might have it, but then the patient also has it. So if you have an antidote to an overdose, which is naloxone that I have in my hand right now, it is good for everybody who needs it to have it with them.
Speaker 1 (01:50):
So who should carry it? Somebody who's struggling with addiction issues, family members, friends. Tell us about that.
Dr. Roopa Sethi (01:57):
So it's a very good question. Actually, anybody who's prescribed an opioid, even from a doctor should carry it. Anybody who's prescribed opioids along with benzodiazepines, and when I say benzodiazepines is something like alprazolam, clonazepam, Klonopin, all those medications because they have a chance of causing overdose as well, should carry it. And of course, somebody who's developed an addiction or developed an opioid use disorder and is in a treatment or wants to be in a treatment should also carry this medication.
Speaker 1 (02:29):
So Doc, some people dislike the whole idea of Narcan because they think it might encourage drug use. What is your reaction to that kind of thinking?
Dr. Roopa Sethi (02:40):
Addiction is a disease. At the end of the day, if we treat diabetes, if we treat allergies with an EpiPen, why not have an antidote of a medication which can prevent overdose and can save a life.
Speaker 1 (02:55):
Dr. Sethi, thank you so much for being with us this morning. We always appreciate your insight.
Dr. Roopa Sethi (02:58):
Thank you.

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Screenings
Persons interested in learning more about medication-assisted treatment or who would like to be considered for the program may also call 913-588-6493 or email us to complete an initial screening and schedule an appointment with the clinic directly.
Some medications are covered by insurance, depending on individual policies. If inability to pay is a concern, grant funding may be available.
Physician referrals: 913-588-5862 or 877-588-5862.