Buprenorphine treatment:
Your guide to the building blocks of OUD medication

Table of Contents

1. How buprenorphine works
2. The different types of buprenorphine
3. The benefits of buprenorphine treatment
4. How to start buprenorphine treatment at Ophelia
5. Buprenorphine treatment FAQ
6. Real stories: Buprenorphine success cases
7. Easy access to schedule a consultation

Buprenorphine is a valuable tool in the fight against opioid addiction. Although it’s a widely used medication for addiction treatment (MAT), it’s common for people to have questions about it. This comes as no surprise—buprenorphine is available in many forms, both on its own and as a combination medication. Why is this ingredient such a big deal? Because it helps minimize cravings and withdrawal symptoms, making it easier for MAT patients to focus on the behavioral aspects of treatment and recovery.

This guide gets to the bottom of buprenorphine’s many forms and what prospective patients need to know about taking buprenorphine as a medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD). Most importantly, we’ll address how it benefits patients during their treatment. Whether you're considering treatment for yourself or a friend or family member learning how to support a loved one as they undergo treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD), you’re in the right place.

How buprenorphine works

Buprenorphine is an FDA-approved partial opioid agonist that activates the same receptors as other opioids but not as intensely. Dosages are measured to treat cravings and withdrawal symptoms without producing the “high” provided by opioids or the respiratory depression associated with overdosing. Because partial agonists have a ceiling effect not found in full agonists, they’re considered safer for patients with less potential for misuse.

Given these benefits, doctors often prescribe buprenorphine to help patients discontinue full agonist opioid use.

The different types of buprenorphine

Buprenorphine typically reaches full effect within one to two hours, though its duration in the body depends on how it’s administered. These are the forms of buprenorphine you may encounter:

  • Sublocade®: Buprenorphine doctors administer Sublocade as a monthly injection to provide a continuous release to help manage cravings and withdrawal symptoms. The sustained-release formula also means that Sublocade has a half-life of up to 43 days and may take months for the body to eliminate it.
  • Subutex®: This is a tablet form of buprenorphine, but unlike many oral medications that are swallowed, Subutex is a sublingual formula. It is placed under the tongue and allowed to dissolve; chewing the tablet will make it less effective. The tablet itself is small and white and is usually round, oval, or hexagonal. Subutex has a half-life of 24 to 48 hours and takes between five and eight days to be eliminated from the body.

Combination buprenorphine treatments

Buprenorphine can also be combined with naloxone, a medication that blocks the euphoric effects of opioids and counteracts withdrawal symptoms. Currently, there are two combination buprenorphine-naloxone medications on the market:

  • Suboxone®: First approved by the FDA in 2002, Suboxone is considered safer than buprenorphine alone because it also contains naloxone, which discourages snorting or intravenous misuse of buprenorphine. The medication is available as both sublingual films and tablets. Since this is a combination medication, each ingredient has its own half-life. The half-life of the buprenorphine is between 24 and 42 hours, while the naloxone’s half-life is between 60 and 90 minutes.
  • Zubsolv®: This updated formulation was approved by the FDA in 2013 as an alternative to Suboxone, offering faster dissolution for better bioavailability. Zubsolv comes in a round, white tablet that states the dosage on one side with “OM” printed on the other. Unlike Suboxone, it is not currently available as a sublingual film. This medication has the same half-life and elimination time as Suboxone because it contains the same active ingredients.

Buprenorphine clinics typically prescribe these combination medications to manage cravings and withdrawal symptoms. However, Suboxone is the more commonly prescribed option and is touted as the gold standard of OUD care. It starts working within 20 to 60 minutes and remains effective for several hours.

When a combination medication is taken correctly, the naloxone remains inactive. However, if misused, it becomes active to quickly block the effects of opioids, including signs of overdose. This encourages patients to take the medicine as prescribed, effectively reducing the likelihood of relapses and overdoses. By including naloxone in the formula, Suboxone enhances treatment outcomes for individuals in recovery.

The benefits of buprenorphine treatment

Better support for recovery

We can’t stress this enough: The use of medication is a significant advancement in treating OUD. The increasing potency of heroin, fentanyl, and other drugs can make detoxing difficult to manage. MAT helps relieve withdrawal symptoms and allows patients greater comfort. Combined with support from a dedicated clinical team, MAT programs get patients back on their feet by addressing their physical and behavioral health needs.

Opioid agonists have an efficacy ceiling, or a point at which further doses won’t have any impact. Plus, Suboxone and Zubsolv both contain naloxone, which offers additional protection against misuse.

Increased patient safety

When treating OUD, methadone is often the first treatment that comes to mind. Some people even believe that methadone and buprenorphine are interchangeable. But there are some crucial differences between these treatments.

One of the main differences is regulation. Methadone is a Schedule II substance, according to the Controlled Substances Act. As a result, it can only be dispensed at clinics and must be taken under a clinician’s supervision, which can be time-consuming and difficult for patients who need to drive long distances and may have family or work obligations or unreliable access to transportation.

On the other hand, buprenorphine is Schedule III, allowing practitioners to prescribe the drug for home use. Patients can pick it up at a pharmacy and schedule their doses at a time that works for them.  

Another significant distinction is that buprenorphine is a partial opioid agonist, while methadone is a full opioid agonist. Neither will produce a high, but increased use of methadone will magnify the opioid effect. Unfortunately, that can lead to an overdose. On the other hand, buprenorphine plateaus to prevent the misuse. The naloxone component of Suboxone and Zubsolv adds an extra layer of protection, so patients receive more comprehensive treatment.

Positive effects on physical + mental health

Buprenorphine has been used for more than OUD treatment. In 1984, certain formulations were FDA-approved for pain management because the drug can block pain signals. These formulas are usually prescribed to patients who are recovering from significant injuries or an operation, as well as those who are dealing with long-term discomfort due to cancer treatment.

Although the buprenorphine formulas approved for opioid treatment—including the naloxone combination medications—are not meant for pain relief, it can be a valuable side effect.

Buprenorphine can also have a positive effect on a patient’s mental health. It increases the serotonin levels in the brain, which regulate mood and emotions. This boost can help alleviate depression and anxiety, which often co-occur in those affected by OUD. As these symptoms fade, patients can experience increased energy levels and better sleep patterns.

Greater long-term outcomes

Suboxone has given many people a safe way out of addiction and helped them maintain their progress over time. Long-term Suboxone use offers stability and helps reduce the risk of relapse when paired with proper clinical support. In a way, taking Suboxone is no different than taking medication to treat diabetes, high blood pressure, or a heart condition. While some patients may be ready to taper off within a year, many continue their treatment for longer with an adjusted dosage based on their provider’s recommendations.

While there can be side effects connected to long-term Suboxone use, the medication is also linked to lower mortality rates among OUD patients, demonstrating its life-saving potential when used as part of a structured treatment plan.

How to start buprenorphine treatment at Ophelia

Starting with Ophelia

Your first interaction as a patient with Ophelia will be a welcome call with our Enrollment team. This skilled group will help you work through paperwork, red tape, and scheduling. They can answer any questions you have and also help you navigate the maze that is insurance, Medicaid, treatment availability and eligibility, and patient confidentiality. Afterward, you’ll meet with a clinician who will gather your medical history as well as important details about your life in order to find the best buprenorphine treatment plan for you.

Induction

Once the above details are squared away, it’s time to start induction. Induction is the critical first step in buprenorphine treatment. During induction, you work with your clinician to find the right dose of buprenorphine to alleviate symptoms of withdrawal and opioid cravings while not causing strong side effects, such as heavy sedation or precipitated withdrawal.

During induction, you’ll abstain from all opioid use long enough for withdrawal to start. This can be uncomfortable, but a clinician will be on call to help you address any issues by providing comfort medications to help make the process more manageable. Once the beginning stages of withdrawal have started, the clinician will instruct on how much buprenorphine to take and how and when to administer the dose. Follow these instructions as exactly as possible.

Taking more than the allotted dose or failing to wait for withdrawal to set in can lead to an uncomfortable experience known as precipitated withdrawal. Compared to normal withdrawal, which happens gradually as opioids are processed out of your body, precipitated withdrawal comes on suddenly when your medication forces other opioids out of the brain and replaces them. This brings on symptoms quickly and without warning. However, once this is completed, patients are on their way to treatment.

To avoid this unpleasant outcome, we offer thorough and meticulous guidance to all patients starting the induction process. The pre-induction plan also helps make the induction process more comfortable and easier to manage. It offers tips for how to stay hydrated, what foods and meal plans are least likely to cause discomfort, and what over-the-counter medications can help relieve the physical symptoms experienced during induction.

Stability after induction

Once induction is over, you’ll switch to a different dose of medicine and begin taking it regularly under the advice of our Clinical team. The details depend on exactly which type of medication you’re taking and what your individual care plan looks like, but it will involve taking maintenance medication (buprenorphine) and checking in with our specialists to evaluate progress and address any issues you may encounter. Your care routine may also involve regularly scheduled urinalysis and remote drug testing.

The thought of regular testing may feel uncomfortable, and that’s normal. However, this isn’t a punitive measure, and urinalysis is a key component of successful buprenorphine treatment. Regular urinalysis helps Ophelia’s clinicians gather extra treatment data, and it is fairly easy to do, even in remote settings. These drug tests can monitor the presence of buprenorphine in a patient’s system, and they also confirm the presence or absence of other opioids. These data points show buprenorphine clinicians whether a patient is taking their prescription as intended and whether they’re using other opioids alongside their prescribed medications. Doctors can then use data gathered through urinalysis to adjust a patient’s treatment plan to achieve higher rates of success.

On the patient side, taking a remote drug test is easy. It can be delivered right to your door in a discrete and unmarked box, and you’ll take the test while on a video call with your doctor.Results can be obtained within minutes. If everything looks normal, you’re done, and if something unexpected shows up on the results, you can have an open and honest conversation with your doctor about it to determine the best steps for moving forward.

Suboxone treatment with Ophelia

The most common medication prescribed by Ophelia’s doctors, and the gold standard for opioid treatment, is Suboxone. This drug is a combination of buprenorphine and naloxone and is designed to curb opioid cravings and resolve withdrawal symptoms while significantly lowering the risks of overdose. It’s taken sublingually in tablet or pill form and begins having an effect within about 30 minutes. During induction, patients may take doses as high as 16 mg/4 mg buprenorphine/naloxone daily, and maintenance doses range from 4 mg/1 mg to 24 mg/6 mg buprenorphine/naloxone daily. Treatment may continue as long as necessary to help patients achieve their goals.

Side effects include sweating, chills, fever, headaches, cough, constipation, stomachaches, diarrhea, insomnia, nausea, and irritation of oral mucosa (important safety information).

Subutex and its side effects

Subutex is very similar to Suboxone, but it doesn’t include naloxone and is generally only used in narrow circumstances, such as when a patient has a naloxone allergy or is pregnant. That means Subutex only includes buprenorphine as an active ingredient. It’s taken sublingually as a tablet and comes in similar dosages to Suboxone. Because Subutex lacks naloxone, it is not quite as safe as Suboxone, as it doesn’t protect against overdoses as effectively. Its side effects are similar, including headaches, nausea, dizziness, and constipation.

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle during treatment

As part of your buprenorphine treatment with Ophelia, it’s likely you’ll need to make some lifestyle adjustments to aid the process. Buprenorphine is a helpful drug, but it isn’t without its side effects. An early effect that some people notice is weight fluctuations. Buprenorphine may cause excess water retention, which causes puffiness of the face and extremities. Constipation, which is one of the most common side effects, may cause some patients to feel as if they’re gaining weight, even when they’re not. It’s also common for a person’s appetite to increase during treatment, as opioid misuse often leads to poor nutrition and appetite.

If you’re concerned about weight gain during your buprenorphine treatment, we recommend making a solid effort to stay physically fit. Physical activity by itself is correlated with better mental health outcomes, and these effects are only made more prominent during treatment. It’s also important to avoid alcohol consumption, which can cause potential respiratory depression that can lead to an accidental overdose or even death. Additionally, alcohol is a depressant, which can cause mood changes that may make your treatment less effective and damage your mental health.

To maintain a healthy lifestyle during treatment, patients should also monitor their sex drive. Some patients notice an altered sex drive while taking Suboxone, but the effect is most prevalent in men. If this becomes an issue with you, talk with our Care team about how best to address it.

Buprenorphine treatment FAQ

Buprenorphine is one of the three medications the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved to treat opioid use disorder (OUD). Clinicians and care teams use it as part of their evidence-based, comprehensive treatment plans to help those struggling with opioid dependence.

We’re here to address common questions people have about OUD treatment with buprenorphine.

What is precipitated withdrawal?

Precipitated withdrawal can occur when someone who is actively dependent on opioids takes an opioid agonist or partial agonist, like buprenorphine. As a partial agonist, buprenorphine binds to opioid receptors in the brain. If the person using buprenorphine already has other opioids in their system, the buprenorphine displaces them from the receptors and blocks them from binding again. If there are too many opioids displaced from the receptors at once, it can cause precipitated withdrawal.

During precipitated withdrawal, the patient experiences a sudden onset of intense withdrawal symptoms. The symptoms of precipitated withdrawal include both physical and psychological effects, such as:

- Sweating
- Diarrhea
- Bone and muscle pain
- High blood pressure
- Faster heart rate
- Anxiety
- Irritability
- Intense opioid cravings
- Restlessness

One study suggests that around 9% of patients using buprenorphine to treat OUD develop precipitated withdrawal. Patients who concurrently use benzodiazepine or are chronic users of fentanyl or methadone are at higher risk for buprenorphine precipitated opioid withdrawal. Before beginning treatment, a patient's care team will consider their history of opioid use and risk level to decrease the chances of them experiencing precipitated withdrawal. Educating patients and using proper induction protocols may also reduce the risk.

Can you take buprenorphine after surgery?

Patients using medications for addiction treatment (MAT) often wonder if they can continue using that medication during and after surgery. In the past, many doctors recommended that patients stop using buprenorphine for a short period before and after surgery, but this advice is now outdated. Doctors were worried that continuing to use buprenorphine after surgery could make it more challenging to manage post-surgical pain.

While it's true that patients generally should not mix buprenorphine with opioids for pain management, there are better options than momentarily discontinuing buprenorphine use around surgery. New research suggests that patients should continue using buprenorphine to manage their OUD even before and after surgery. Patients’ care teams and buprenorphine doctors should work with them to find alternate pain management strategies that do not pose as significant a risk to their OUD treatment. Non-opioid medications, like nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents (NSAIDs), can effectively treat mild to moderate pain, for example. Acupuncture or physical therapy might help some patients manage their pain. The goal is to balance the need for pain management in post-surgical patients with their ongoing OUD treatment.

Buprenorphine is used to treat pain, which is useful to patients who recently underwent surgery. Research shows that buprenorphine treats chronic pain. These pain-relieving qualities might help OUD patients using buprenorphine after surgery.

Will buprenorphine affect blood pressure?

Over 1 billion adults worldwide have high blood pressure, which can lead to heart damage, stroke, and kidney failure, among other health issues. Many OUD patients who have high blood pressure worry about how buprenorphine will affect their condition and whether it's more dangerous for them.

The good news is that buprenorphine does not cause high blood pressure. There's a common misconception that it does because initial buprenorphine use is associated with a blood pressure spike.

However, the buprenorphine is not directly responsible for that spike. Rather, patients taking buprenorphine for the first time are often going through the peak of opioid withdrawal. The blood pressure spike is a symptom of withdrawal, not buprenorphine use.

Buprenorphine can cause low blood pressure, though. The medication slows down the central nervous system, which can lead to dizziness, drowsiness, and low blood pressure as side effects.

Before beginning buprenorphine treatment, OUD patients should consult their care teams about pre-existing high or low blood pressure. Patients should also inform their clinicians of the medications they use to manage those conditions, if any. Certain medications can have adverse interactions with buprenorphine, so it's essential to discuss all these factors with the care team.

Will buprenorphine affect oral health?

Oral health is an often overlooked, yet essential part of a person's overall well-being. Over 40% of adults in the United States report experiencing some mouth pain in the last year. Because some versions of buprenorphine are sublingual medications, patients worried about their oral health may wonder whether taking the medication will cause or worsen dental problems.

Back in 2022, the FDA released a warning that patients using sublingual medications containing buprenorphine have experienced some dental issues. These issues include tooth decay, cavities, oral infections, and tooth loss. This warning led some people to mistakenly believe that all buprenorphine patients, or even a significant percentage, will experience oral health problems while using buprenorphine. That's not the case.

Millions of Americans use sublingual buprenorphine medications each year without reporting any dental pain or other dental concerns. The American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry (AAAP) and several other organizations of addiction professionals even wrote a letter calling on the FDA to retract its warning about buprenorphine and oral health issues because it could be misleading to vulnerable patients dealing with OUD.


The benefits of taking buprenorphine to treat OUD outweigh the risks of dental problems. Patients taking sublingual buprenorphine drugs, like Suboxone, can reduce their risk further by following the proper technique for taking their medications and rinsing their mouths out with water afterward.

Can you still take OTC medications on buprenorphine?

Generally, before using any new medications, you should discuss them with your doctor to ensure no adverse drug interactions. This also applies to over-the-counter medications, like acetaminophen and ibuprofen. Some medicines can react with others in the body, causing severe side effects. Patients starting buprenorphine treatment may wonder whether they will have to cut out other medications they take to avoid these drug interactions.

In many cases, patients can continue to use at least OTC medications while taking buprenorphine. For example, there are no known interactions between NSAIDs, like Advil® and Aleve®, and buprenorphine. Acetaminophen also has no known interactions with buprenorphine. However, sedating antihistamines, like Benadryl® and Dramamine®, can interact with buprenorphine to cause extreme drowsiness and a depressed central nervous system. Patients using buprenorphine should discuss using antihistamines with their provider prior to use during OUD treatment.

When starting buprenorphine treatment, patients should discuss any medications they currently use with their care teams. If they later want to start using an OTC medication while using buprenorphine, it's worth checking in with their care teams again. It is safer to get a healthcare professional's opinion before combining any medications, even OTC medications. If a certain OTC medication has a negative interaction with buprenorphine, the care team may be able to recommend an alternative or a non-medication way of addressing the symptoms.

How do you know your dosage is right?

Selecting the correct dosage is just as important as choosing the proper medication in terms of effectiveness, and the same is true for MAT providers. But how can the patients themselves know if their dosages are correct?

A variety of factors affect the ideal buprenorphine dosage for any given patient. These include the patient's history of opioid use, body composition, selected medication, and sensitivity to medications. The care team weighs all these factors and determines the best dosage level. In some cases, they may start a patient out at a lower dosage and work up to higher doses of buprenorphine. This is called an induction or titration.

If the patient's dosage is not high enough, they may experience adverse symptoms. These symptoms include:

- Opioid cravings
- Pain
- Sweating
- Tremors
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Anxiety
- Abdominal cramps

Patients who notice these symptoms after starting buprenorphine treatment should contact their healthcare providers to adjust their dosage. The patient's care team will try to find the right dose while still being effective in treating their OUD. A dosage that's too low can lead to opioid withdrawal symptoms, while a dosage that's too high does not become any more effective due to the ceiling effect.

What happens if you miss a dose?

For the best results, patients should take their buprenorphine exactly as instructed by their clinicians. They should take the recommended dosage consistently at the specified time. But what happens if a patient misses a dose? The effect of missing a dose will vary significantly based on the type of buprenorphine the patient uses.

Most patients using Suboxone, for example, take the drug once daily. If a Suboxone patient misses one dose, that's generally fine since the medication stays in a person's system for around 36 to 48 hours.

A patient would have to miss multiple doses in a row to start experiencing opioid cravings or withdrawal symptoms because the Suboxone is no longer blocking opioid receptors in the brain. Similarly, a patient could generally miss a dose of another daily buprenorphine medication, like Zubsolv, without negative effects. However, it’s important to discuss any missed doses with a provider, as they’ll provide a plan of action which may include taking the dose as soon as you remember or waiting until the next dose is due.

Missing a dose of an extended-release buprenorphine medication, like Brixadi or Sublocade, would have more significant effects, so reach out to your clinician team to get scheduled for a dose ASAP. Patients must see a healthcare professional immediately to have these medications injected weekly or monthly. Because patients receive these medications less frequently, keeping their appointments is essential. Patients should consult their care teams before adjusting their medications in any way. Clinicians can advise patients on what to do if they miss several doses or want to change something about their buprenorphine treatment.

Can women use buprenorphine during pregnancy?

Dealing with OUD during pregnancy can make a challenging time that much more stressful and difficult. Unfortunately, the majority of pregnant women with OUD do not receive evidence-based medication treatment. Some pregnant women are under the misconception that they don't even have any OUD treatment options during pregnancy. That's not the case, and pregnant women deserve to know about the treatments available to them.

Pregnant women can safely use buprenorphine and other medications for addiction treatment throughout their pregnancies. Using buprenorphine to treat OUD can improve outcomes for the newborn as well as the mother. Infants born to mothers who received methadone treatment during pregnancy have similar health outcomes to babies who were not exposed to methadone in utero. And compared to babies exposed to methadone, newborns who were exposed to buprenorphine in utero had even more positive outcomes.

If a patient is already using buprenorphine or another OUD treatment medication when she becomes pregnant, she may safely continue treatment. Patients who are already pregnant when they begin OUD treatment can also safely use buprenorphine. After giving birth, the risk of an overdose increases. Maintaining OUD treatment during this period can help lower a patient's risk of overdose. Mothers pursuing OUD treatment can also safely breastfeed their babies as only a small amount of the medication will pass to the babies through breast milk.

Can you microdose buprenorphine?

Microdosing is the practice of taking small amounts of a drug to experience its positive effects while minimizing adverse side effects. It's typically associated with psychedelic drugs, but there's a growing trend of microdosing medication for OUD treatment known as the Bernese method.

In the Bernese method, patients gradually introduce buprenorphine to reduce the risk of sudden onset opioid withdrawal symptoms. Microdosing buprenorphine may make precipitated withdrawal less likely, which could, in turn, make OUD treatment more effective for some patients. Anecdotally, OUD patients discuss the Bernese method positively as an option that may work when other approaches have not.

More research into the Bernese method is necessary to determine whether it reduces the risk of precipitated withdrawal and is an effective OUD treatment method. The Bernese method might be especially useful for patients who frequently use fentanyl or who are switching between full agonist and partial agonist OUD treatment. Patients interested in using the Bernese method should discuss this with their care teams. The clinicians can work with the patient to determine an appropriate dosage for microdosing buprenorphine as part of their OUD treatment plan. Do not attempt to microdose buprenorphine without the supervision of a qualified care team.

Are there buprenorphine medications other than Suboxone and Subutex?

There are several other options for buprenorphine medications beyond Suboxone and Subutex.


Sublocade is a buprenorphine medication administered as an extended-release injectable. Eligible patients can get Sublocade injections once a month at buprenorphine clinics or wherever they receive OUD treatment. Only a trained medical professional can administer Sublocade, which may make this version of buprenorphine less convenient for some patients. OUD patients cannot take the medication home to administer themselves or purchase Sublocade in bulk.

Unlike Suboxone, Sublocade only has buprenorphine as an active ingredient. While medication costs vary depending on a patient's insurance coverage, Sublocade is often more expensive than other buprenorphine medications because it has no generic option. However, this medication is generally covered under insurance and can be an excellent option for patients who often forget to take oral doses of Suboxone or have a difficult time reaching a pharmacy.

Brixadi is another injectable OUD medication that only has buprenorphine as an active ingredient. When healthcare professionals inject Brixadi, it releases over an extended period. Patients can receive another Brixadi dose monthly or weekly, depending on their care teams' recommended dosage. Injectable buprenorphine medications like Sublocade and Brixadi may be best for patients who would struggle to consistently take Suboxone. Likewise, if patients prefer to have professional oversight when taking their buprenorphine medications, Brixadi or Sublocade are strong options for OUD treatment.

Zubsolv is similar to Suboxone in that they both contain buprenorphine and naloxone as active ingredients to treat OUD. Zubsolv is a sublingual tablet that the body can absorb very quickly to start reducing opioid cravings and minimizing withdrawal symptoms. At the same dosage, Zubsolv is slightly more potent than Suboxone. It’s important to remember that Zubsolv has no generic equivalent, which could lead to higher costs depending on patients’ insurance plans.

Real stories: Buprenorphine success cases

"I'm alive today thanks to Ophelia for putting me on Suboxone. It's giving me a clean, healthy way of living life. Thank you."
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How telehealth is advancing OUD treatment

While it existed previously, telehealth for OUD treatment really took off in the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic as a way to continue providing care to those already in the middle of buprenorphine treatments. To the joy of opioid treatment specialists everywhere, remote buprenorphine treatment hasn’t just proven tenable: it has improved outcomes for patients drastically. Telehealth has made OUD treatment more accessible than ever, especially in places where there are no clinics that provide opioid treatment. It has also led to higher levels of patient retention, meaning more people are sticking to treatment once they receive it. Finally, telehealth solutions for buprenorphine treatment help patients feel both safer and more engaged in their treatment. With fewer barriers and higher success rates, it’s no question that remote treatment has changed the lives of thousands.

How telehealth visits work

Telehealth visits for buprenorphine treatment differ only slightly from a regular, in-office visit. You will call or video conference with your doctor to discuss your needs and your progress, just like you would in an office setting. At Ophelia, we offer a variety of care options, too, including referring patients for counseling, smoking cessation sessions, regular buprenorphine treatment check-ins, and mental health treatment. Each visit is tailored to your specific needs and is designed to help you get the best care possible from the comfort of your own home. We also offer care support seven days a week, and all you need to do is call, no scheduling needed.

Why Ophelia’s approach works

The secret to the success of Ophelia’s treatment is simple: our approach is based around making care as easy, as accessible, and as comprehensive as possible. We help patients sort through complicated factors like insurance so that they can focus their time and energy on getting better, and once they’ve completed that process, we ensure that the first visit is thorough, thoughtful, and educational. We offer extra support to those who need it, and we rely on routines to make committing to your treatment easier than ever. We also know that seeking treatment can be scary and stressful, so we pride ourselves on providing all the information necessary to go through treatment while remaining safe and confident.

Reviewed by world-leading medical experts

Image of Dr. Arthur Robin Williams

Dr. Arthur Robin Williams

Chief Medical Officer

Dr. Arthur Robin Williams is a codesigner of Ophelia and brings a wealth of knowledge on substance use disorders. Currently, he is an academic addiction psychiatrist, and a Research Scientist at New York State Psychiatric Institute supported with NIH, SAMHSA, and CDC funding. He has served as an expert speaker or consultant to the NIH HEAL Initiative, the National Quality Forum, and the American Psychiatric Association to aide quality measure development efforts for the opioid crisis under the OUD Cascade of Care framework.

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