Medications for Opioid Use Disorder: A Beginner-Friendly Start
Medications for Opioid Use Disorder: the few things that matter most, and the mistakes that catch people out early.
FDA-approved medicines (methadone, buprenorphine and naltrexone) used with counseling to treat opioid use disorder.
Key takeaways
- Methadone: given through certified opioid treatment programs
- Buprenorphine: can be prescribed by any clinician with the right DEA registration, including primary care providers
- Most useful single change: Ask your doctor whether they prescribe buprenorphine or can refer you.
- Commonest mistake: Stopping medicine suddenly without a plan, which raises relapse and overdose risk.
- See a doctor if any of the signs under "When to speak to a doctor" below apply to you.
Why bother
These medicines lower the risk of overdose death and help people stay in recovery, yet many people who could benefit never receive them.
Start here
Begin here, with two things rather than ten.
- Ask your doctor whether they prescribe buprenorphine or can refer you
- Use FindTreatment.gov or call 1-800-662-4357 to find programs near you
Then add these
Once the first two are automatic, these are worth adding.
- Keep naloxone on hand during treatment
- Store medicines locked up, since they can be fatal to a child who swallows them
The numbers, in one place
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Methadone | given through certified opioid treatment programs |
| Buprenorphine | can be prescribed by any clinician with the right DEA registration, including primary care providers |
| Naltrexone | an extended-release monthly injection; you must be opioid-free for a period before starting |
| Length of treatment | decided with your care team; there is no set time limit |
| Counseling | is recommended alongside medicine |
Common early mistakes
- Stopping medicine suddenly without a plan, which raises relapse and overdose risk
- Mixing these medicines with alcohol, benzodiazepines or other sedatives without medical advice
- Believing that using medicine means you are not in recovery
Related topics
- Opioids for Long-Term Pain: What Published Guidance Supports (Chronic Pain)
- The Evidence on Stopping Smoking, Without the Hype (Preventive Care)
- Heat and Medications: What Published Guidance Supports (Heat, Cold and Weather Safety)
- Polypharmacy: Sorting the Evidence From the Noise (Healthy Aging)
Where to go next
- Medications for Opioid Use Disorder: What Published Guidance Supports
- Making Sense of Medications for Opioid Use Disorder
- Medications for Opioid Use Disorder — the reference entry
- Substance Use: The Complete Guide
- Finding Substance Use Treatment: What Published Guidance Supports
- Supporting a Family Member With Addiction: Sorting the Evidence From the Noise
When to speak to a doctor
Call 911 and give naloxone if someone has slow or stopped breathing or will not wake up. Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 if a child swallows any opioid treatment medicine, even if they seem fine.
Where this comes from
- SAMHSA — Medications for Substance Use Disorders
- National Institute on Drug Abuse — Medications to Treat Opioid Use Disorder
How this page was put together
Every figure, recommendation and warning above is taken from the guidance named in Where this comes from. Nothing on this page is inferred, summarized or generalized beyond what those bodies publish: where they give a number, it is their number, and where they are silent, so are we. Pages are rebuilt whenever the underlying record changes. Sign-off by a named clinician, where it has happened, is shown at the top of the page along with the date.
Medical disclaimer
This article is general information, not medical advice. It cannot account for your own history, medication or circumstances. Always speak to your doctor, pharmacist or another qualified health professional before making changes that affect your treatment, and never delay seeking medical advice because of something you have read here. In an emergency, call 911.
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