SKEPTICS SAY SUBOXONE ISN'T MIRACLE CURE

While many doctors prescribing Suboxone to their opioid-addicted
patients are happy with the drug, the therapy doesn't work for
everyone. A Medford father said he paid $300 a month for a year for
his 23-year-old son to take Suboxone, but the young man is back
abusing prescription painkillers.

"He's back using again," the father said. "Half the time, I think he
was selling them." Nick Reuter, a senior public health analyst for
the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration, said he hasn't seen "extensive" diversion of
Suboxone since the drug became available in 2003. But the
worry that patients are only their taking their Suboxone when they
are too cash-strapped to afford their drug habits is part of the
reason why addiction specialist Dr. P.S. Kishore of Brookline
doesn't use the medication in outpatient settings.

The Medford father agreed. "It makes it too easy to go on and off
the (Suboxone), " he said. "He got the money, he'd do his drugs."