OD deaths in kids prompt Cincinnati Children's to open clinic for opioid-addicted

• People 16 to 21 with opioid-use disorder can get medication assisted treatment at this Cincinnati Children's clinic.
• Clinic staff is trained and licensed to prescribe Suboxone, an opioid use disorder medication approved by the FDA.
• The clinic's opening coincides with a rise in overdose deaths, including the deaths of teenagers and young adults.

Older teens and young adults in the Cincinnati area have a new option in medication treatment for opioid use disorder, as overdose deaths in this younger population have escalated in southwest Ohio and the nation. Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center has opened an outpatient clinic for people ages 16 to 21.

The hospital announced the endeavor Wednesday, saying it is welcoming patients to its Opioid Use Treatment Clinic to address the unrelenting opioid epidemic in the region.

“Opioid addiction is still a growing problem in adolescents and young adults,” said Daniel Cohen, advanced practice registered nurse with Cincinnati Children’s division of adolescent and transition medicine. "We are looking forward to helping make a difference in the lives of young people who want help.”

Getting medication-assisted treatment, which is considered the best practice for opioid use disorder, isn't easy, experts say.

Dr. Emmanuel Chandler, associate division director for adolescent and transition medicine at Cincinnati Children's, said there are inequities in treatment availability for teens who have opioid use disorder, and the hospital hopes to help abate that problem.

The clinic opened in July, Chandler said, but Cincinnati Children's released information about it this week to ensure that those who need its help are aware of it.

"We want to provide greater access for our patients," he said.

The Opioid Use Treatment Clinic has medical staff that's been trained and licensed to prescribe Suboxone. Patients who qualify will get up to a month's supply of the prescription medication at a time. For now, the clinic's social workers can connect patients to community providers for therapy, and the clinic plans to provide the service for patients soon.

What is Suboxone and why is it prescribed to kids?

Suboxone is a brand of the opioid buprenorphine with the opioid-overdose antidote naloxone. The medication is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a treatment for opioid use disorder. Used as prescribed, it curbs cravings for other opioids, preventing overdoses. It stabilizes patients, so they can function normally at school, work and elsewhere. It is safe and effective, research shows.

The American Academy of Pediatrics put out a statement in 2016 supporting medication-assisted treatment for adolescents with opioid use disorder. The academy said buprenorphine was underused in treating teenagers.

It's even hard for adults to get treated with buprenorphine, said Frances McGaffey, associate manager of Pew Charitable Trust's Substance Use Prevention and Treatment Initiative, which focuses on policy solutions to prevent and treat substance use disorders. Pew is an independent, nonpartisan, non-governmental nonprofit based in Washington, D.C., that strives to improve public policy and inform the public.

“Buprenorphine is nowhere near as available as it should be," she said, "and federal rules are a key barrier that restricts clinicians from easily prescribing it."

And that's not all, McGaffey said. She added that healthcare providers are "sometimes hesitant to prescribe it because of stigma against people with (opioid-use disorder) and lack of knowledge about how to treat the condition.

"But we know buprenorphine is a safe and effective medication," McGaffey said. "and if more providers could offer it, many lives would be saved.”

She said that for adolescents in particular, age is an issue because the FDA has approved buprenorphine for those 16 and older. It can be used off-label, however.

Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus has an outpatient treatment program for young people with opioid-use disorder and other addictions for 14- to 25-year-olds since 2007. "We have been providing office-based opioid treatment for opioid use disorder for adolescents and young adults since that time," said hospital spokesperson Katelyn Scott.

Overdose deaths among teens surge across the US, Ohio and Kentucky

Overdose deaths in teens have tripled in the last two years in the United States as a direct result of fentanyl, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data shows. People who use drugs may not know whether the highly potent synthetic opioid is in their supply.

And the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has been warning parents and young people about pressed pills that look like prescription opioids, benzodiazepines (such as Xanax) and stimulants (such as Adderall) but are actually made with fentanyl. Fake prescription pills are pouring into the United States and can kill with one pill. Pharmaceutical opioids include Percocet, Vicodin and hydrocodone medications; but those who believe they're buying these pills through social media or on the streets are at risk for overdose death because they may contain fentanyl, officials say.

Hamilton, Butler, Clermont and Warren counties together saw a 37% rise from 2019 to 2020 in the deaths of those 15 to 24 years old, Ohio Health Department records show. Kentucky suffered an 81% jump in overdose deaths among people 15 to 24 years old, state and national data from 2019 to 2020 show. In Ohio, the increase was 36%. In the United States, the rise was 49%.

How common is the misuse of opioids in southwest Ohio?

It appears that few kids in southwest Ohio misuse prescription pills on a regular basis. A Prevention First Student Survey released in April showed 2% of the 26,000 students from private and public schools in seventh through 12th grade reported using prescription pills that weren't prescribed to them in the past 30 days. But the danger of using opioids is evident in the opioid epidemic's alarming and increasing death tolls. In 2021, more than 100,000 people in the United States died from a drug overdose, according to the CDC, and the biggest contributor to their deaths was fentanyl.

Chandler said Cincinnati Children's wants to help fight addiction and treat those who have the disorder to prevent deaths and help them into active recovery.

How do I get help at Cincinnati Children's?

The hospital's Opioid Use Treatment Clinic welcomes young people 16 to 21 to self-refer for opioid use disorder, Chandler said. It also takes referrals from pediatricians and other medical providers and parents. Call 513-636-4748 or search online for Cincinnati Children's Opioid Use Treatment Clinic.