Addiction experts claim HHS Secretary Tom Price's, MD, recent comments about medication-assisted treatment for addiction were ill-informed and contradicted information released by the HHS department, according to an NPR report.
Last week, Dr. Price commented on the use of medication-assisted treatment for addiction, stating the treatment method essentially "substitut[es] one opioid for another," according to a Charleston Gazette-Mail report.
However, addiction experts point to "a substantial body of research" that recognizes methadone and buprenorphine, two drugs commonly used to treat opioid addiction and cited by Dr. Price, have been used as the standard of care for addiction treatment for years and have reportedly helped drug users stop misusing prescription or illicit opioids, according to the report.
Nearly 700 researchers and practioners sent a letter to Dr. Price Monday urging him to "set the record straight" regarding his comments to the Gazette-Mail, according to the report.
Experts pointed to the HHS department's website, which includes a link to more information about medication-assisted treatment and the misconception that the treatment involves the substitution of one drug for another. Officials said their main concern is that Dr. Price's comments perpetuate that misconception.
An HHS spokesperson told NPR in an email that Dr. Price's remarks to the Gazette-Mail did not signal a shift in the department's policies in treating opioid addiction. The statement read: "One of the five pillars of the [S]ecretary's strategy to combat the opioid epidemic is expanding access to treatment and recovery services, including medication-assisted treatment."