Drug addiction is a complex and deeply personal struggle that affects millions of people and their families. Recovery is not simply about stopping drug use, but about rebuilding a person’s life, health and sense of purpose. Health care providers play a critical role in this process, and one of the most powerful tools they can offer is compassion. When compassion is combined with evidence-based treatment, it creates an environment where recovery is truly possible.
Northern Arizona Healthcare (NAH) recently began initiating Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) in the Flagstaff Medical Center (FMC) Emergency Department (ED) in August. The ED began a collaboration with the Coconino County Public Health Services District (CCPHSD) Opioid Crisis Response Team and Southwest Behavioral & Health Services. In the past, if a patient came to the ED with opiate withdrawal, there were many barriers to the physicians being able to provide symptom relief and getting patients into long term treatment before symptoms returned. This new collaboration allows patients to actually begin MAT right there in the ED. The patients are also referred to the CCPHSD Opioid Crisis Response Team who will meet with the patient and assist with paper work, organization of follow-up appointment, peer counseling and navigate the patient through the entire treatment process.
MAT is a method of treating substance use disorders that combines prescription medications with counseling and behavioral therapies. The goal of MAT is to provide a balanced and evidence-based approach that addresses both the physical and psychological aspects of addiction. For many years, addiction treatment was often viewed as a matter of willpower or moral strength. People who relapsed were sometimes seen as weak or uncommitted to recovery. Modern medicine, however, recognizes addiction as a chronic disease that affects the brain’s chemistry. Just as someone with diabetes or heart disease may need ongoing medical care, those with substance use disorders can also benefit from medications that stabilize the body and support long-term healing.
Buprenorphine is a medication commonly used for MAT, which binds opioid receptors in the brain, reducing cravings and withdrawal symptoms. Suboxone helps stabilize brain function, restore normal body chemistry and improve emotional health. In addition, patients receiving MAT are more likely to stay in treatment and less likely to relapse or overdose compared to those who rely on counseling alone.
The process in the FMC ED would begin with a patient coming to the ED with withdrawal symptoms. The patient is assessed by an ED physician when medically appropriate. If they choose to pursue treatment, they are treated with buprenorphine until symptoms are below a certain level on the assessment tool. Once symptoms are well managed, the patient is given a prescription for buprenorphine and the referrals to Southwest Behavioral & Health Services and the CCPHSD Opioid Crisis Response Team. The county team can meet the patient in the ED, or within a day or two, with the goal of enrolling the patient into Southwest Behavioral & Health Services for treatment as soon as possible. The CCPHSD Opioid Crisis Response Program helps reduce opioid/opiate overdose fatalities by improving knowledge of life-saving medications and healthier practices, access to Naloxone, pathways to treatment and linkages to care. The person-centered program provides peer support and case management to individuals who are at high risk of overdose. They are committed to reducing barriers, meeting people where they are at and understanding that recovery is a process.
In addition to MAT services, NAH purchased and installed a harm reduction vending machine outside the ED at FMC in 2024, and recently installed another one outside the ED at Verde Valley Medical Center (VVMC) in Cottonwood. These vending machines dispenses free Naloxone, also knowns as Narcan, an opioid overdose-reversal drug that can be life-saving during an overdose. The machine at FMC is stocked by CCPHSD and Yavapai County Community Health Services provides the Naloxone in the VVMC vending machine. Both machines also offer fentanyl test strips, which are paper strips used to detect the presence of fentanyl and its analogues in drug samples before they are used. In the first year, the machine at FMC dispensed 1,630 Naloxone and 838 fentanyl test kits. Since Sept. 1, 2025, 132 Naloxone kits and 49 fentanyl test strip kits have been dispensed at the VVMC vending machine.
One of the most significant benefits of harm reduction vending machines is their accessibility. Many people who struggle with substance use face barriers when trying to obtain clean supplies or overdose prevention medications. These vending machines, however, are available 24 hours a day, which allows individuals to access what they need without relying on in-person services, which can carry stigma.
Access to these products does not increase substance use; instead, it makes drug use safer and provides opportunities for education and intervention. Studies have shown that communities that adopt harm reduction programs experience fewer overdoses, lower rates of infectious disease and more engagement with health care providers. In the state of Arizona, there were 2,015 opioid deaths in 2021, compared to 1,246 opioid deaths in 2025.
The growing presence of harm reduction vending machines across the United States reflects a shift toward compassion and practicality in addressing substance use. Harm reduction vending machines are a vital step toward creating healthier, safer communities that support recovery and human dignity.
Addiction is often misunderstood as a lack of willpower or a moral failure. In reality, it is a chronic medical condition that changes how the brain functions. It affects decision-making, impulse control and emotional regulation. Because of these changes, recovery is rarely a straightforward path and many individuals relapse before achieving long-term sobriety. With NAH health care professionals understanding addiction as a medical condition rather than a personal flaw, it changes how care is approached. Patients feel less judged and more supported, which increases their willingness to seek help and stay engaged in treatment. NAH wants patients to feel that they can find a safe, compassionate place to heal, along with the tools needed for recovery.
Please note: The Arizona Daily Sun requires a subscription to access its articles.