Running Head: TITLE V SECTION 501 OF THE CARA ACT

Improving Treatment for Pregnant and Postpartum Women

Susan D. Buckingham

Campbellsville University

Date: 28/Oct/2020
INTRODUCTION

In this paper I will provide a brief about how to Improve the Treatment for Pregnant and

Postpartum Women. What is the impact on practice along with the results obtained from the

implementation of this act. Intended and unintended barriers and consequences will also get

discussed in this paper. Readers will also get to read about the impact of this legislation on the

targeted population (pregnant & postmortem women).

IMPACT ON PRACTICE

Not even seven days passes away and I end up conversating with a patient about the

epidemic that is being caused by overuse of heroin and opioids. This epidemic is not just

affecting the individuals but it’s also causing the emergency medicine resources to flush out their

assets and it’s making the cost providers and payers to squeeze out billions of dollars. Managing

the health of the behavior and the use of substance is the main priority of the health systems at

this time. The acute overdose intervention has become necessary since the death rate of opioid

related overdoses is exploding as observed in the recent years. An agent that goes by the name

of Naloxone (Narcan) has been observed to have helped in saving the lives of almost 25,000

people. But, the fact is that only 644 distribution programs are situated to help the patients

suffering from opioid overdose. Researches have shown that if the institutions adapt the

medication-assisted treatment, it would play a huge role in helping the effected populations. The

MAT procedures must be utilized and practiced if we want to overcome this epidemic. There is

significant proof that MAT can have an enormous effect in advancing recovery in drug

dependent patients. Also, it is to a great extent underutilized. As we all know how badly pregnant

and postmortem women got effected because of the use of opioids and other drugs. Almost 22%
of pregnant women are advised to get opioid treatment that in turn causes NAS in the newborn

babies.

To bring an impact, we first need to change our prescription habits. Secondly, we need to

start educating people about this uprising issue, specially the ones who are most effected as of

right now. Third, we need to change our research method. We need to go towards another

method rather than exhausting our minds on opioids.

INTENDED RESULTS

The results obtained from the passing of this legislation are still in progress. Some results

have shown new possibilities to the researchers who are trying to control this epidemic. The

buprenorphine and methadone have shown a similar type of an effect when used at the time of

pregnancy. However, more research needs to be done on the use of buprenorphine (Wisner et al.,

2017). Researches have sown that women should not go for the detoxification of opioids when

they are pregnant because it can cause fetal distress or even death. Moreover, even if the

detoxification is attempted in the supervision of medical staff it is still known to be having a

great amount of risk for the patient. Another result that was derived from the studies was that

buprenorphine should only be prescribed by the individuals who are specialists in the field.

Although, methadone can be made available at specific treatment institutions because it is

harmful if used daily. Researchers also found out that the postmortem women were greatly

suffering from depression and to tackle this, they advised that doctors should perform routine

screenings for perinatal and postpartum depression in their patients who use substances, as they

are at higher risk.

CONSEQUENCES & BARRIERS

Pregnant women face extra barriers to substance misuse treatment than the normal client.

Numerous women need serious treatment, however hardly any treatment programs give the vital

projects and aftercare. Ideally, women who are addicted to drugs would have the option to stop

utilizing before ever getting pregnant. In any case, it's seldom that simple to quit utilizing drugs.

In any event, when a fiend realizes she is pregnant and might be hurting her youngster, the

inclination to take drugs is still there. Exploration has demonstrated that giving comprehensive

medication treatment and pre-birth care for mother and youngster interestingly improves birth

results and the kid's turn of events. Restricting what some accept, pregnant women who are

dependent on substances misuse can—and do—convey solid children. The most regularly

proposed treatment for pregnant women who are dependent on heroin or different sedatives is

methadone upkeep treatment. All pregnant drug-addicted women are advised to accept

methadone as a piece of a medically administered methadone upkeep therapy program. Every

year, an expected 400,000 to 440,000 newborn children (10 to 11%, all things considered) are

influenced by pre-birth liquor or unlawful medication presentation. (Daley, Argeriou, and

McCarty, 1998). This is costing the state cash as the children brought into the world addicted and

experience the ill effects of NAS, a treatable condition that remembers withdrawal indications

for the baby. Need special treatment and as the mothers usually have state insurance or no

insurance this cost falls on the tax payers. Also, the cases of NAS are so high some hospitals are

actually hiring “rockers”. These are people that come in and spend time rocking the infants that

are going through withdrawal, as they are usually inconsolable.

I believe that in all states despite HIPPA laws that if a mother test positive for drugs. The

office should contact DCFS. At the time, the pregnant woman should be given the resources
need to get the treatment that she needs. Weather it’s being methadone, suboxone, or IOT

(intensive outpatient treatment). They should be mandated to attend an outpatient treatment for

the first year of the child’s life. I think the focus should be on getting these women outpatient

help. Since the number of treatment places are so low. DCFS should also help the woman obtain

insurance if she doesn’t have any.

INTENDED AND UNINTENDED OUTCOMES

With a lot of outcomes, the proposed procedure is inclined to anticipation. CARA

enabled an extraordinary spotlight towards accessibility of treatment for clients, moving

ceaselessly from forbearance to medicine helped treatment (MAT) (Drug Policy Alliance, 2016).

CARA has enabled a lot of practical treatment alternatives for those experiencing addiction to

opioid usage. It should bring about fewer relapses among clients who will have more prominent

admittance to MAT. While thinking about anticipation, the Act expands schooling and

mindfulness which can just have constructive outcomes. Agencies need to realize that the youth

is also in danger because the youngsters usually become addicted to opioids before getting

addicted to the heroine. Naloxone’s capacity is now easier for the people to manage as the

amount of overdosed deaths have showed the researchers. While this outlook proceeds with

today with government financing " could not hope to compare to the 26 billion spent yearly on

HIV/AIDS" (Epidemic, 2016). Along these lines, the unintended result is additional financing is

required. The fact however is that we have to keep our hopes alive no matter what.

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