Iowa Launches 24/7 Statewide Opioid Treatment Hotline

The Iowa Poison Control Center has launched a new program to help healthcare professionals treat opioid use in patients.

Per KWWL, the program is known as I-BEACON, and at the center of it is a new hotline that gives doctors and other medical professionals 24/7 access to addiction experts who can help guide them through prescribing buprenorphine. Buprenorphine is one of the most effective medications for treating opioid addiction.

How the Hotline Works for Medical Professionals:

Funded by the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services through Iowa's Opioid Settlement Fund, the hotline will be available to healthcare providers in all 99 Iowa counties. The program's goal is increasing clinician confidence and reducing delays in care, particularly in Iowa's rural enclaves where specialists can be difficult for patients to access.

In recent years, opioid-related deaths have risen in Iowa. Fentanyl is now involved in about 84% of opioid-related deaths in Iowa, per KWWL.

As it stands, while doctors can prescribe buprenorphine, many are hesitant to do so due to the lack of access to specialists in some cases. With I-BEACON, expert guidance is available to medical professionals with a simple phone-call.

When on the phone with addiction medicine experts, medical professionals can obtain guidance on how patients should properly use buprenorphine. It being accessible in every county in Iowa leaves no professional without access, regardless of wherever they work/reside.

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Healthcare providers can reach I-BEACON by calling 1-800-222-1222, a simple phone number that can be memorized very quickly. You can find out more information about the I-BEACON program on the Iowa Poison Control Center's website as well as KWWL's website.