Opioid Use Treatment Clinic Now Open
Cincinnati Children’s Opioid Use Treatment Clinic opened in July, providing medication to patients ages 16-21 struggling with opioid addiction. The clinic is specifically for patients using opioids such as heroin, Percocet, oxycontin, fentanyl, oxycodone, hydromorphone and Vicodin. Appointments will be every Wednesday, and the clinic anticipates 400-500 visits during the first year.
Although the clinic does not currently offer therapy services, there are plans to expand to provide therapy services and treat youth who use substances aside from opioids. Until that time, social workers will connect patients to other community therapy programs and resources.
The Opioid Use Treatment Clinic offers buprenorphine (Suboxone) for treatment of opioid use disorder. “We will use Suboxone which will allow patients to get a month’s supply of medication, with a much lower chance of overdose in comparison to methadone,” said nurse practitioner Dan Cohen, APRN, one of the providers at the clinic.
Patients or families can request appointments without a physician’s referral. “There are a lot of barriers for patients that need substance use treatment, and some of that is a result of referral-based services,” said Cohen. “We elected to treat patients without the need for a referral so more kids and young adults in the region can receive the medication they need to help combat opioid use disorders.”
“Medication for opioid use disorder is very effective, leading to higher recovery and a reduction in deaths linked to opioid use,” said Dr. Jessica Kahn, Division Director of Adolescent Medicine at Cincinnati Children’s. “However, medication use is very low among people who could benefit from treatment, especially adolescents. This is a critical gap in care that we hope to address in our community through the Opioid Use Treatment Clinic.”
Scheduling an Appointment
Appointments are offered every Wednesday and patients or families can request appointments without a physician’s referral. Patients and families can schedule by calling 513-636-4748.
Location
The clinic is located within the Teen Health Center at our Burnett Campus.
Physician Referrals
Physicians can refer through our Division of Adolescent Medicine and in the referral specify "opioid use treatment".