Doctor's Note - Dr. Famiglio's Opioid Treatment

Dr. Gregory Famiglio believes in his opioid treatment clinics. “We’re the Ritz-Carlton of service,” he says. It’s more genuine than it is arrogant or boastful. “To Family Recovery Solutions, recovery is about absolute wellness,” he adds, “and it’s really a beautiful thing to see.”

Pennsylvania Opioid Treatment is Only Half the Battle

Looking for that beauty, Dr. Famiglio founded Family Recovery Solutions (FRS) as an aggressive, holistic opioid treatment in 2013, when his work for a medically-assisted treatment (MAT) provider became too impersonal for his taste. He needed to address Pennsylvania’s raging opioid crisis with patient-centered focus, not economic distance. So, he and his wife, Dr. Gloria Famiglio, opened their practice to improve opioid treatment standards in rural Pennsylvania. FRS has since added multiple clinics around the state and has partnered with the St. Joseph Institute for Addiction, and also with Mountain Laurel Recovery Center. And the program continues to grow: “We’re hoping to open clinics in three or four underserved cities by Christmas,” says Famiglio, “and that’d add to our patients by 50%.” Those plans would place provide opioid treatment clinics for nearly 150 miles of central Pennsylvania.

What’s the FRS Mission?

Family Resource Solutions serves those suffering from opioid addiction. But it’s more than just blanket prescriptions of Suboxone to patients itching to get out of the clinic. To Dr. Famiglio, no one is more important than the patient. All of the patient, inside and out. “We bug our patients about their whole health,” he says. “We refer for Hepatitis C, we do aggressive smoking cessation, we do whatever we can to be all encompassing. Nothing is too much.”

There are still patient-specific Suboxone treatments that can last for years after patients leave the clinics. Dr. Famiglio has kept seeing patients monthly for years at a time, because he knows that doctors have to be consistently aggressive to treat addiction. He sees the importance of MATs, saying, “If my son needed opioid treatment, he’d be on our MATs.” Accordingly, he’s glad to keep seeing his opioid patients for years and years (he estimates that 70% of FRS’s patients are long-term).

And this doctor is only one of many present at FRS clinics. “We have on-site psychiatric care to treat mood disorders, and we make calls to get patients into specialty clinics, or into job openings.” These efforts count as the center’s crucial services. “If you feel terrible in your life, you’ll want to use,” Dr. Famiglio explained.

Where’s FRS Located?

Family Resource Solutions maintains five opioid treatment clinics in central Pennsylvania. They’re found in Williamsport, Selinsgrove, Port Matilda, Mansfield, and Mt. Carmel, and as of today, they’ve got spots open for new patients.

But FRS didn’t just happen to reach these rural areas by chance. “In central Pennsylvania, people are dying. It’s one of the number one states for opioid deaths in the country.” He’s unfortunately correct in saying so, as recent rates of opioid-related deaths in PA are far higher than the national average during the ongoing crisis. But that reality makes it that much more crucial that FRS serves patients there.

What Now?

Take a closer look at Family Resources Solutions as a way of treating your addiction, or for someone else’s. If you’re in central Pennsylvania and need help, these clinics might be where you should start. Dr. Famiglio understands that opioid treatment comes with its baggage, since he works every day to combat the stigmatized misconception that taking Suboxone or buprenorphine is just another addiction. “It’s the best treatment available,” he counters. “And my job is the most exciting, most rewarding thing. People are getting better here.”

That’s why we at Buprenorphine Doctors are glad to partner with Dr. Famiglio on this Doctor’s Note. FRS’s mission of serving individual patients with compassion and efficiency suits what we do, connecting patients to Suboxone doctors and clinics, and doing our best to help our readers understand opioid treatment and news.