In a heartbreaking and alarming case, the tragic death of 18-year-old Becca Schmill has shed light on a troubling gap in the addiction treatment system. Despite numerous visits to medical providers and therapists, Becca, who struggled with addiction after being traumatized by a rape incident at the age of 15, never received a prescription for buprenorphine, a highly effective medication for treating opioid addiction.

Becca's mother, Deb Schmill of Needham, believes that her daughter's life could have been saved if she had been prescribed buprenorphine, which has been shown to reduce the risk of overdoses by satisfying cravings and alleviating painful withdrawal symptoms. Sadly, on September 16, 2020, Becca's lifeless body was discovered, with the official cause of death being fentanyl toxicity.

A national study conducted by researchers at Mass General for Children and the Yale School of Medicine found that only 5 percent of pediatricians surveyed had ever prescribed buprenorphine or another standard medication, naltrexone, for opioid use disorder. Although almost a quarter of these pediatricians reported diagnosing an adolescent with opioid use disorder, less than half felt prepared to provide counseling for opioid abuse.

The study highlights the urgent need for expanded addiction training in medical schools and better incentives to treat patients with opioid use disorder. Shockingly, only 12 percent of pediatricians believe it is their responsibility to prescribe medications for addiction, indicating a lack of education and resources in this area. Less than one-third of pediatric residency programs in the United States currently provide education on prescribing opioid use disorder medicines.

The consequences of the underprescription of opioid addiction medications are particularly dire for adolescents, who are increasingly at risk of unknowingly taking pills laced with the lethal synthetic opioid, fentanyl. Drug overdoses and accidental opioid poisonings rank as the third leading cause of death among children in the United States. In Massachusetts, though fatal overdoses among those aged 15 to 24 have declined in 2022 to 105 deaths, they still remain significantly higher than a decade ago.

Parents and caregivers like Deb Schmill and Gary Carter, a retired truck driver from Maynard, are deeply frustrated by the lack of access to these life-saving medications. Carter believes that Suboxone, a form of buprenorphine, could have possibly prevented his son Bryant's death from an overdose at the age of 25.

Medical professionals and experts stress the urgent need for addiction training in pediatric care and a shift towards integrating addiction treatment into primary care settings. Without widespread access to opioid addiction medications, it becomes increasingly difficult for adolescents and young adults to receive the help they need.

The issue is further exacerbated by insurer billing practices, where primary care pediatricians are often reimbursed in 15-minute increments, making it challenging to adequately evaluate and counsel young patients with opioid addictions.

The tragic stories of Becca Schmill and Bryant Carter serve as powerful reminders that time is of the essence when it comes to treating opioid addiction. Expanding addiction training, providing better incentives, and addressing billing practices are critical steps towards bridging the gap in addiction treatment and ensuring that no more young lives are lost to this devastating epidemic.