Using GPS Tracking to Microdose the Unhoused
Longbeach. 4pm. We picked up the patients prescription - a 1-week's supply of suboxone strips. My PA dons a pair of gloves and using his "suboxone scalpel" carefully cuts them into quarters. He places them in their corresponding bin.
When our patient is not at his site under the bridge, we use the GPS tracker that he willingly carries with him. He's about a mile east, across the street from a Starbucks. But when we arrive, he's crossed the street. The 4 of us jaywalk to reach him. But he's on the move. There's a delay. Using our apps, we readjust his tracker to refresh continuously rather than every 5 minutes. He's stopped moving, but it's showing that he's at the intersection. Nothing for a minute. And then we spot him, in the median, crossing the street. We call to him and he runs across 2 lines of traffic to reach us.
He's excited to see us. A 32-year old, 6-foot-4 Latino male, with a long beard and slick-backed dark hair. He's doing well; in good spirits. We thank him for carrying his tracker.
"Oh yeah, it's right here." pointing to his gym short left pocket.
"When did you last use heroin?"
"This morning."
"ok, well you can start taking it immediately, you can even take some now," handing over the pill box.
"great. It won't make me sick?"
We explain how it works. "We're 'sneaking' the suboxone into your system, so it won't make you sick, even if you're continuing to use.
"So what will I feel?"
"Eventually you just won't care to use - it will get rid of your cravings," I say. "But not until you reach higher doses, so don't think it's not working just yet. It'll probably be a week before you notice anything at all."
"ok great. I'll take it with dinner."
"thanks, man"
He fist-bumps each of the four of us goodbye and runs across two lines of traffic.