Opioid Treatment Van Cuts Hours In Quincy

QUINCY, MA — Every day, more than 250 people head to a parking lot behind Southern Artery gas station and visit a van. The van serves as a mobile methadone clinic and the only legal place those suffering from opioid addiction can get anti-addiction medications in the city.

On weekends though, people now have to travel outside Quincy for treatment. The Boston Globe reported that Habit Opco, a private health care provider that runs the van and several methadone clinics throughout Massachusetts, cut the mobile clinic's hours, and now, the van is open only on weekdays.

Representatives from Habit Opco told the Boston Globe that the company has plans to build a permanent treatment facility in Quincy, across the street from the parking lot where the van is open at during the week. Patients now must travel to clinics in Brockton or Boston for their daily medication on weekend mornings. Research shows that methadone and similar medications are the most effective method for treating opioid addiction, but since methadone is also highly addictive, missing doses can cause withdrawals and increases the risk of relapse.

The van's hours were cut because the van is in poor condition and would cost about $80,000 to replace, a Habit Opco representative told the Boston Globe. According to Habit Opco, if the van broke down, a new one would take months to get approved and be properly equipped. The company said it's close to submitting a formal application for a permanent facility, but a spokesman from Quincy Mayor Thomas Koch's office told the Boston Globe the city was not made aware of the proposal until the beginning of January. The mayor's office declined to comment further until more details on the proposal are available.

For more on this story, check out the Boston Globe.

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