There are far more drug and alcohol rehab centers then there are detoxes.  I was asked recently why I thought more rehabs did not do drug and alcohol detox.  I thought there were three main reasons for this.  Number one is location.  Most drug and alcohol rehab centers are in more isolated areas.  Most times they are not close to a major center with a good emergency room.  A lot of rehab centers are far out in the country where the peace and quiet and lack of temptation are a bonus.

If you are going to be a safe detox center, being close to a really good hospital is great for safety for the cases that require it.  There is also another reason why it is difficult to run a detox center onsite with a drug and alcohol rehab center.  Finding staff for a 24 hour a day coverage.  most hospitals in major centers are having difficulties coming up with adequate nursing staff.   Finding quality nursing staff for a rehab center far from a major city is even more difficult.  Detox needs around the clock medical personel on site.

Thirdly you need a great physician willing come come several times a week to a center.  Most small towns are having a very difficult time holding on to their doctors.  Getting one willing to take time out of an overly busy schedule in next to impossible.

This is not to say it cannot be done in some cases.  My hat goes off to those drug an alcohol rehab centers that have managed to put this together in the more rural centers that a lot of rehabs are located.  We need more detox centers.  Alas as drug and alcohol detox is a medical issue, I don't seeing this happening soon.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 30th, 2007 at 7:56 pm and is filed under Drug Rehab. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.