BEDFORD, Va. – Dr. Aaron Freeman said about 20 to 25 percent of his patients at Bedford Community Health Center suffer from opioid addiction.
"When we see patients coming in with these type of issues, these abuse issues, it really makes us feel bad," Freeman said.
He adds, that because the center doesn't have the medicine to treat those opioid-addicted patients, some travel to pharmacies in Lynchburg, Roanoke and Richmond to buy Bupernorphine, the medicine used to help fight off the addiction.
"We found that we probably have a good market of patients who (could benefit)Â from us having a pharmacy here, too," Freeman said.
A $285,000 state grant helped create OBOT, Office Based Opioid Treatment. By next year, with the money, the center will open a new pharmacy in their office to administer Bupernorphine and hire two full-time employees.
"Given the fact that we have staff, a pharmacy there and with the expansion, it just made sense for us, out (of) our nine locations to select Bedford as the place for this program," said Gary Campbell, CEO Johnson Health Center.
The center is federally mandated and limited to help about 30 patients in the first year. Those people will also receive therapy through group counseling, learning they are not alone in this fight.
"Part of our goal was to co-locate it within a primary care setting to sort of help reduce the stigma," Freeman said.