SEATTLE (PRWEB)
June 24, 2021

Ideal Option, a national leader in outpatient medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioids, alcohol, methamphetamine and other substances, opened its first clinic in King County in 2017. Since then, Ideal Option has opened 3 additional clinics and treated over 2,800 residents of King County with substance use disorder (SUD).

Substance use and overdose deaths, specifically involving fentanyl, accelerated across the state of Washington in 2020 due to the stress, isolation, and economic hardship brought on by the pandemic. The Medical Examiner’s Office reported that King County alone experienced a 24% increase in opioid overdose deaths and a 55% increase in fentanyl-involved overdose deaths from 2019 to 2020.

According to a February 2021 release by the Washington State Department of Health, fentanyl-involved deaths more than doubled from 2019, and in 2020 this potent and dangerous synthetic opioid officially overtook methamphetamine as the drug most involved in overdoses in the state.

Ideal Option recently released its 2020 Annual Patient Outcomes Report based on lab data collected from more than 10,000 WA State Medicaid patients. The report shows a 63% increase in positive rates for fentanyl among enrolling patients from Jan 2020 to Dec 2020. Unfortunately, that upward trend is continuing. Based on the company’s most recent lab data, 48.1% of enrolling patients tested positive for fentanyl in May 2021 – a staggering 153% increase over Jan 2020.

“We are experienced with the complexities of treating fentanyl use disorder,” stated Tim Kilgallon, CEO of Ideal Option. “The fentanyl positivity rate among enrolling patients was over 48% last month which is shocking, but for patients who progress to later stages of our treatment program, we see that rate declining to about 1%. We are eager to help more patients in King County get out from under the weight of this extremely deadly drug.”

Ideal Option has 15 clinics in W. Washington with 4 of those located in King County (Auburn, Tukwila, North Seattle, and Bellevue).

With no waitlists and most forms of insurance accepted, including Medicare and Medicaid, patients can typically get started on treatment for fentanyl or other substances within 1-3 business days.

Patients can make an appointment by calling 1.877.522.1275 or visiting http://www.idealoption.com.

About Ideal Option

Headquartered in Kennewick, Washington, Ideal Option was founded in 2012 and has since helped nearly 45,000 patients through a network of over 65 office-based medication-assisted treatment (MAT) clinics across 10 states. With a mission to serve under-served communities, Ideal Option accepts all forms of insurance including Medicaid and Medicare. Financial assistance and payment plans are also available.

Ideal Option’s team of medical providers carry certifications in Addiction and Emergency Medicine, Internal, OB/GYN, and Family Medicine, among other specialties. The company also employs social workers, caseworkers, counselors, and mental health practitioners. This holistic approach helps drive positive outcomes, including family stability, stable housing, improved overall health, and reduced rates of recidivism.

In all the communities it serves, Ideal Option collaborates with existing stakeholders and providers to improve the continuum of care. This approach includes partnerships with emergency rooms and county jail systems, where individuals with substance use disorder often appear, as well as collaborating with numerous support agencies and municipal programs addressing social needs such as housing, mental health, and nutrition support.

The Ideal Option 2020 Annual Patient Outcomes Report for WA can be accessed here: https://bit.ly/3xTNpD1

The February 2021 release from the Washington State Department of Health can be found here: https://www.doh.wa.gov/Newsroom/Articles/ID/2634/Overdose-deaths-show-alarming-trend-in-2020-fentanyl-partly-to-blame

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