Treatment works
Opioid use disorder is a medical condition, and it’s treatable. Medication, alone or with counseling, is the most effective care we have.
Three medications are approved by the FDA to treat opioid use disorder. They reduce cravings and withdrawal, help people stay in treatment, and lower the risk of dying from an overdose. Taking medication is not “trading one addiction for another.” It’s treating a health condition, the same way insulin treats diabetes.
| Medication | How it works | Where you get it | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buprenorphine (Suboxone, Sublocade and others) | Eases cravings and withdrawal without producing a strong high. | A doctor’s office, clinic, or telehealth visit. Filled at a pharmacy, or given as a monthly shot. | Many clinics can start you within days. Any clinician who can prescribe controlled medicines can now prescribe it. |
| Methadone | A long-acting medicine that steadies the body and stops withdrawal. | Certified opioid treatment programs, usually with daily visits at first. | Take-home doses are often allowed as treatment goes on. Strong evidence over decades of use. |
| Naltrexone (Vivitrol) | Blocks the effects of opioids. | A monthly shot from a clinician. | You need to be fully off opioids for about a week or more before starting. |
Levels of care
Outpatient: regular visits while you live at home and keep working. Most people start here.
Intensive outpatient: several hours of treatment a few days a week.
Residential: you live at the center for a period of weeks. Ask whether they continue or start medication.
Withdrawal management: medical support through withdrawal. It works best as a bridge into ongoing treatment, not on its own.
Questions to ask any provider
- Do you offer all three medications, or help me get them?
- How soon can I start?
- Do you take my insurance, or offer a sliding scale?
- Is counseling included, and is it required to get medication?
- What happens if I return to use? (A good answer: we keep treating you.)
Be cautious of any center that pays for your travel, offers gifts to enroll, or contacts you after you call a hotline. These can be signs of patient brokering.