Steve Sopko visits the Baltimore methadone clinic daily.
He considers himself one of the lucky ones.
Sopko, 36, who had been a heroin addict for eight years, knows many, if not most, of the city?s tens of thousands of addicts can?t find or can?t afford treatment.
“You always have a percentage of people looking to get themselves up and get back on their feet and be productive who can?t find it,” Sopko said “It needs to be more accessible.”
Sopko says he supports Mayor Sheila Dixon?s request for $5 million in additional state funding to increase access to buprenorphine, a medication to treat heroin addiction.
Treatment experts shared Sopko?s view.
Dr. Michael Hayes, an addiction treatment specialist who has 54 patents on buprenorphine, said the mayor?s proposal would enable the city to treat 2,000 additional patients.
The money would be a 10 percent increase over current funding of $50 million for drug treatment handled through Baltimore Substance Abuse Systems.
“The more patients we treat the fewer people are chasing people, but we always need more money,” Hayes said.
The money would increase access to treatment by providing counseling and support to patients taking buprenorphine to control their opiate cravings, said City Health Commissioner Dr. Joshua Sharfstein.
“I think it?s an excellent idea,” said Tony Tomasello, director of the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy?s Office of Substance Abuse Studies.
Dixon made her case today in Annapolis in the first week of the General Assembly?s legislative session.
“The mayor and Dr. Sharfstein deserve a lot of credit for making it a priority and realizing we?re not going to arrest our way out of the drug problem,” said Michael Gimbel, drug addictions educator with Sheppard Pratt Health System.
One barrier to treatment is fees, Sopko said. It costs up to $80 a week for methadone treatment at his West Baltimore clinic, and he?s had to pay up to $400 a month for buprenorphine.
“There are a lot of people who can?t afford to pay,” he said. “I pay $10 for my treatment. But it?s $80 a week without assistance, which is too expensive for many.”
