Promoting Addiction Treatment

As a registered addiction specialist, Anthony Valanos has assisted more than 1,000 people seeking treatment and choosing a life of recovery through his podcast, educational workshops, and free information and awareness. Raised by two ministers, Anthony Valanos has always had a passion for helping others and found the perfect platform as the host of the Sheer Recovery podcast to promote awareness and implore people to attend recovery facilities, such as the Sheer Recovery center.

The Sheer Recovery facilities are located in the scenic ocean views in Orange County, California, and feature private and semi-private rooms, fun weekend activities, and a dual diagnosis center within the facility. The treatment center consists of a pharmacogenomics testing unit and medication therapy management. The testing unit is crucial in the treatment and provides data-driven clinically relevant reports and interpretation for the attending doctor. A critical variable is genetic makeup, as it significantly determines the drug selection and dosage for a particular condition, optimizing the treatment process, accelerating success, and minimizing the risks of severe side effects.

On the other hand, medication management monitors the patient for proper medication intake, counter-indications, and other issues. Medication management is vital for people living with addiction, as the patient is already on other active substances. Pharmacogenomics provides a valuable preamble to medication management and a basis for fewer errors and dangerous drug interactions.

For treatment and recovery, the end-to-end process encompasses the detox and residential stabilization stage, partial hospitalization program and intensive outpatient care, and finally, full outpatient and part-time attendance. In all the phases, the fitting and relevant Sheer Recovery professional is on hand to guide and support you from the minute you step into the facilities to the last stage where you can return to your family, work and friends.

Three-Phase Addiction Recovery Programs

People with drug or alcohol dependencies can benefit from entering addiction recovery programs. Most treatment programs provide services for at least one of three phases of addiction recovery.

The initial phase is detoxification. During this process, the client will stop using drugs or drinking alcohol. Addiction occurs when the body develops a chemical dependence on the abused substance. When a client stops taking drugs or drinking alcohol, the body must adapt to the lack of chemicals. This can trigger withdrawal symptoms, which can be physiologically and psychologically taxing.

Common withdrawal symptoms include digestive problems, sleep disturbance, pain, and chills. Clients may also experience psychological disorders like depression, mood swings, and insomnia. Going through withdrawal at home can be very dangerous. For this reason, the detoxification process often takes place at a recovery center under the supervision of a medical team.

The duration of the withdrawal period varies based on the type of drug, the length of the addiction, and other disorders or conditions the client may have. However, most detoxification processes last between 1 to 2 weeks.

Clients entering detoxification are evaluated and given treatment plans that include the withdrawal process and next steps. The medical team may prescribe medications that reduce cravings and minimize symptoms. Clients also work with mental health counselors and addiction specialists.

After the client has stabilized, they may enter the second phase of recovery, known as in-patient treatment. In-patient treatment is conducted in a residential setting, where medical and mental health care is provided on site.

In-patient treatment sites are staffed 24/7 to ensure clients have access to support. In addition to their medical treatment, clients also participate in group therapy and recreational activities. In-patient facilities that also address underlying mental health conditions are known as dual-diagnosis programs and offer more comprehensive support. Most clients will stay in the in-patient phase for at least a month.

If the client shows improvement and strong coping strategies, they may transfer to the third stage, which is partial or outpatient treatment. During this portion of the recovery program, the client lives in their own homes.

Partial outpatient may require the client to attend therapy and counseling sessions for a few hours every day, whereas outpatient treatment may only take place for several hours a week. Clients in these programs can take on work responsibilities or attend school while completing their treatment.

People with mild addictions and a safe home base can begin their treatment at the final phase. Clients can access outpatient treatment as long as they need. That being said, outpatient treatment is not recommended for clients with a history of relapse, or without a strong support system. In these cases, clients may benefit from residential day programs or other facilities that combine treatment and assistance with daily activities.

While the treatment model has three phases, they are not necessarily consecutive or linear. It is possible for clients receiving outpatient care to relapse and require earlier stage support. Likewise, some clients do not go through the detox process.

Introduction to Medication Therapy

Medication therapy management is a group of services used by pharmacists and other healthcare professionals aimed at creating optimal results for patients undergoing therapy. Another goal of medication therapy management or MTM is to reduce overall health care expenditures.

The formal definition of MTM was arrived at in 2005 through a medical profession-wide consensus. The definition reads: “MTM is a distinct service or group of services that optimize therapeutic outcomes for individual patients. MTM services are independent of, but can occur in conjunction with, the provision of a medication product.”

MTM includes activities for planning the therapy to be used with a patient, monitoring the therapy, communicating effectively with patients undergoing therapy, and integrating MTM with other healthcare services being provided to the patient.

Planning the specific therapy for a patient includes assessment of the patient’s health status and creating a medication treatment plan.

Monitoring the therapy includes administering the therapy in accordance with the plan and modifying it as needed, evaluating the response to the therapy with a focus on safety and effectiveness, and conducting medical reviews to prevent adverse drug reactions. This activity group also includes informing other primary care providers with essential information about the patient.

Communicating with patients is essential not only because it reassures the patient by keeping them knowledgeable, but it also ensures that they are aware of the direction of the therapy and that the patient does not do anything to compromise the therapeutic approach. This activity group includes educating and training the patient on the proper use of medications and support services to ensure adherence to the therapeutic regimen.

Even with such a comprehensive and thoughtful approach to patient care and therapeutic support, MTM has met with several challenges related to its integration with the traditional pharmacy workflow and the larger health care system.

Regarding MTS integration into the traditional pharmacy workflow, pharmacists are debating whether to integrate MTM in their dispensing workflow or to treat it as a separate consulting service. Difficulties in integrating MTM are directly related to personal characteristics such as inherent adaptability to new processes. Some pharmacists cite lack of personnel as a reason for failing to integrate and implement MTM, and studies have shown that implementing MTM necessitates an increase in technician hours.

Three specific but related solutions are suggested in order to resolve the workflow integration issue. The first is to develop a standardized approach to MTM. The second is to have a policy of offering MTM to all patients, and the third is to clearly define the roles and responsibilities of all personnel regarding the implementation of MTM.

Another issue with MTM adoption is the lack of effective integration of MTM with larger health care systems because of the “silo” structure. This “silo” structure creates a block by which those implementing MTM, such as pharmacists, have difficulty reaching out and working with other health care professionals. Another block is the lack of awareness of other professionals about the activities under MTM. For example, they may not be aware that pharmacists have expanded roles that go beyond dispensing.

Possible solutions for MTM integration with the larger health care system include the creation of interdisciplinary teams to defeat the “silo” structure, more opportunities for cultivation of formal and informal relationships between professionals engaged in MTM and professionals in the larger health care system, and the creation of an MTM information hub.

Sheer Recovery’s First Phase of Treatment

With a bachelor's in business administration from the University of San Diego, Anthony Valanos is a certified counselor who has hosted a podcast at Sheer Recovery for over six years. At Sheer Recovery, Anthony Valanos also serves as a registered addiction specialist who helps people establish a road to recovery from substance misuse and addiction.

A drug and alcohol treatment center in Orange County, California, Sheer Recovery provides addiction treatment and recovery solutions to patients through a team of licensed and certified medical and clinical professionals with over five decades of industry experience. Sheer Recovery's clinical plan comprises three separate phases.

Upon admission, each client enters the first phase of treatment; this is the detox and residential phase. It includes private and semi-private rooms, healthy meals, round-the-clock staff support, a comfortable bath, a swimming pool, and other amenities. Essentially, the phase is tailored to anchor patients with comfort, which is crucial at the initial stage of treatment.

The detox part of the plan addresses emotional and physical withdrawal symptoms, commencing with a comprehensive toxicology report to help doctors identify the toxins present in the patient's body. Once the toxicology report is received, a detox plan will be prepared to safely and comfortably remove toxins. Typically, the duration is between seven to 30 days.

Once phase one is complete, the patient enters further phases where they work with therapists and case managers. The last two phases help them recover from all effects of addiction.