Workit Health’s Role in the Opioid Crisis
The White House Commission on Combating Drug Addiction’s interim report recommended the President declare a national public health emergency due to the opioid crisis. Lisa McLaughlin and Robin McIntosh, Co-Founders of Workit Health, the world’s first online addiction care program, respond with the following statement:
“We wholeheartedly support the White House panel’s recommendations to take life-saving, critical action against the opioid epidemic. Those recommendations include enhanced access to medication-assisted treatment, increased provider education, and access to Naloxone. We are at the front lines of the fight against this disease for the lives of Americans every day. It is alarming that more Americans are killed by opioids than by guns or car accidents. At Workit Health, our mission is to provide effective and personalized addiction treatment options for anyone in need. Medication-assisted treatment will help us achieve this mission.”
Better Access To Medication-Assisted Treatment
“Addiction is not a choice, it is a disease that requires specialized treatment, the same as any other chronic illness. We have already lost too many, but with better treatment options, resources, and community support, we will eventually win.”
The commission called for expanded access to medication-assisted treatment. Directly answering this call, Workit Health offers medication-assisted treatment paired with personalized treatment programs and coach support, the gold standard in recovery from opioid use disorder. Studies have shown that opioid addiction treatment is more effective with doctor-prescribed medication, as medication significantly decreases the risk of relapses and overdoses. Despite the research, medication-assisted treatment continues to face a stigma from the public and healthcare systems. To save lives, the stigma surrounding medication-assisted treatment must end.
Workit Clinic was launched as a direct response to the opioid epidemic. With a mobile pilot program starting in Michigan, Workit Clinic is able to go where the need is and create a better solution to help people recover from opioid use disorder. A fast, effective treatment clinic offers individuals and their communities the skills and support needed to fully heal, going beyond just medication or therapy. Our program provides evidence-based treatment. The Workit Health care team, together with technology and human-centered design, presents a compelling and compassionate treatment option.
Fighting For the Lost and the Living
Workit Health is founded by patients as designers, with both founders and many employees in long-term recovery. The fight against the opioid epidemic will be won by those who have been there. Workit Health’s leadership team sees this as a deeply personal mission, and firmly believes that compassion, education, and community support lay the foundation for effective treatment and successful recovery.
Addiction is not a choice, it is a disease that requires specialized treatment, the same as any other chronic illness. We have already lost too many, but with better treatment options, resources, and community support, we will eventually win.