ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — There are signs throughout Central Florida advertising an addiction therapy drug called Suboxone.

The treatment isn't new, but recent changes to the law have increased the number of patients that doctors can treat with the drug at a time, Channel 9 investigative reporter Karla Ray learned.

Now, signs that seem to be "recruiting" patients to one local clinic are causing concern among those in the treatment industry.

Suboxone is a brand of the drug buprenorphine, which is a prescription narcotic used to help treat addicts and reduce withdrawal symptoms.

9 Investigates spotted signs littering the sides of Central Florida streets, appearing to recruit patients to a local clinic for Suboxone treatment. One recovering addict told 9 Investigates it reminded her of how clinics used to recruit patients during the pill mill epidemic.

Recovering addict

“All I see is pill mills, all over again,” the woman, who didn’t want to be identified, told Ray.

That recovering addict has been through Suboxone treatment before. The prescription delivers a controlled dose of opioids to help prevent withdrawal. Unlike methadone treatment, which requires patients to go to a clinic daily for a dose, Suboxone strips are prescribed for at-home use. The recovering addict 9 Investigates spoke with said she knows firsthand that many addicts cannot handle at-home use.

“I was prescribed 80 strips per month. I only needed maybe one or half of one a day, so if I wanted to, I could sell the rest,” the recovering addict said.

That is a concern for Shannon Robinson, the vice president of medical development for Aspire Health Partners. 

“It’s a little scary to think we might be recruiting patients who are simply looking to get better, and not having all the components to ensure the best chance to recover,” Robinson said.

Federal law changes

Suboxone treatment has been around for years, but 9 Investigates learned changes to federal law recently increased the number of patients Suboxone-certified doctors could simultaneously treat with the drug from 100 to 275. Though doctors are encouraged to include therapy with treatment, that’s not a requirement.

“There’s potential for overdose, diversion, and we're not treating the underlying problem of the addiction, which is significant,” Robinson said.

9 Investigates tracked the phone number on the signs to an address in Longwood, where we found more signs on the door stating, “no cash or drugs on the premises.” 9 Investigates found no doctor or staff on the premises, and emails to the clinic’s medical director went unreturned.

“I know dealers that will buy Suboxone and sponsor addicts,” the recovering addict told 9 Investigates, explaining a process in which dealers provide money for clinic visits to get doses of the drug to be sold on the street.

Without accountability of patients, that leads to potential for the Suboxone strips ending up on the black market, and addicts going back to their drug of choice.

“It scares me,” the recovering told 9 Investigates. “It’s the same as the pill mills. Mills used to do that all the time. It scares me.”

Business owners next door to the clinic told 9 Investigates they haven’t seen anyone there since the location was first set up. The medical director for the clinic is based in Broward County, but the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration, which licenses the clinic, told us he is allowed to perform his duties from off site.

9 Investigates emailed the medical director after being told he was in the hospital and unreachable by phone, but has not heard back. Emails to the makers of Suboxone also have not been returned.

Cox Media Group