DHI Favorite: Expanding Treatment Options for Opioid Use Disorder with Ophelia Founder Zack Gray

In this episode, Carrie, Rebecca, and Zack discuss: 

• Why Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) is a proven treatment for Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) 
• Why only 5% of clinicians are licensed to prescribe buprenorphine and how this drives traffic to the black market 
• How telemedicine breaks down barriers and stigmas for clinicians and patients in the treatment of OUD, making them an ideal combination for addressing the opioid epidemic in the U.S

Key Takeaways: 

• What many people don’t know is that we already have working solutions for opioid addiction and have for a very long time. A widely accepted treatment called Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) is highly effective at keeping people alive. 
• Breaking down barriers for clinicians as well as for patients is critical to the solution. Only 5% of clinicians are licensed to prescribe buprenorphine, a medication used in medication-assisted treatment. Many people who seek treatment are forced to get medication through the black market. 
• There are two main problems that telemedicine solves in regards to getting a patient into a healthy long-term treatment: getting patients to opt-in and getting them to stick with treatment. 

“Telemedicine is great for allowing people to get treated privately, and do so in a way that fits into their schedule. It's also great at helping people stick with treatment.” - Zack Gray

Connect with Zack Gray: 

Website: https://ophelia.com/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zack-gray-58437936 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/zarkgray 

Learn more from Carrie and Rebecca: 

Healthcare Insights (a monthly deep dive into specific topics for innovators): https://nixongwiltlaw.com/healthcare-insights

Telehealth/Virtual Care Mgmt Update (a biweekly LinkedIn newsletter tracking legal and policy changes across the nation): https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/telehealth-virtual-care-update-6901900767960068096/ 

Website: https://nixongwiltlaw.com/ 

Carrie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carrienixon/ 

Rebecca on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccagwilt/

NGL on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nixon-gwilt-law/ 

Decoding Healthcare Innovation on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/decoding-healthcare-innovation/