The Aug. 9 editorial ‘Methadone Methodology’ suggests that instead of opening more methadone clinics, addicts go to a doctor so they can be prescribed the drug buprenorphine, or as it is more commonly known, Suboxone.

Suboxone is more expensive than methadone, doctors are restricted in prescribing it and patients must be in opiate withdrawal for at least 12 hours.

Maine could use another methadone clinic north of Bangor, but convenience isn’t the reason we haven’t seen any more clinics north of Bangor; it’s because it simply wouldn’t be profitable enough for the for-profit clinics. The for-profit clinics’ realize that patients will be on methadone for many years to come (It’s rare for a patient to be on methadone short term. They tout, “You can be on methadone for the rest of your life if needed”), and that’s why we already have two for-profit clinics and more that want to come to Bangor.

What Bangor needs is another treatment facility modeled after The Acadia Hospital that is within a hospital setting, has a decent doctor-to-patient ratio and enough staff. My hope is to eventually see Maine set up programs that get people into treatment regardless of the ability to pay because many addicts are self-pay patients and this is difficult at first. It is only through not-for-profit programs and treatment programs based on income that Suboxone would look more promising. This is the solution to weeding out the for-profit methadone clinics.

Stop their profits and you’ll stop the influx. Methadone clinics are big business.

Amber Benton

Bangor