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Search our Nationwide Directory of Suboxone Doctors!
Find a Suboxone doctor near you, using our comprehensive, nationwide directory of physicians specializing in the medically-assisted treatment (MAT) of opioid addiction through the use of Buprenorphine, Suboxone, Subutex, and other opioid addiction treatment medication. Get help today!
What are Opioids?
Opioids are a type of medicine that are often used to help relieve pain. They are usually very safe when used correctly and under the supervision of a medical professional, but if misused can lead to addiction. Addiction, if not identified and properly treated, can lead to serious personal, legal, and health consequences.
What is Medication-Assisted Treatment?
Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) is the use of medications, such as Buprenorphine or Suboxone, in combination with therapy and other behavioral treatments, to provide a holistic approach to the treatment of addiction to opiate drugs such as heroin or Oxycodone. These medications serve to normalize brain chemistry, block the euphoric ("high") effects of opioids, relieve cravings, and normalize body functions.
Is it hard to find the right Suboxone doctor near me?
Legal restrictions placed on medical professionals limit the number of patients they are able to treat for opioid addiction. Finding eligible addiction treatment doctors nearby can be time consuming and difficult. This directory makes it easy to find and contact a Suboxone doctor that is conveniently located for you.
How do I find a Suboxone doctor near me?
If you’re in need of opioid maintenance therapy, then let us first congratulate you. You’ve already taken what is often considered the most difficult step - admitting that you have a problem. Now that you’ve done that, you can safely seek treatment while running a lower risk of relapsing later in life.
The next challenge, however, involves finding a doctor who can prescribe Suboxone for you. Suboxone doctors can be tricky to find, especially if you don’t know who to talk to. We’re here to help you find out where your local resources are.
There have been many changes in the last couple decades regarding the availability of opioid maintenance therapy. It used to be very difficult, if not impossible, to acquire a prescription for Suboxone. Prior to the turn of the century, methadone was the most common drug prescribed for people hoping to wean themselves off of illegal opioid drugs.
Methadone has been widely available since 1947, and many people are quite familiar with how it works. However, it is quite difficult for a single doctor to be able to prescribe methadone. For a physician to prescribe methadone, they must meet several qualifications, including assessment and approval from the DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency), sanctioning from various other addiction medicine organizations, and a designation of their clinic as a methadone clinic.
The latter poses problems because if a family physician wishes to offer methadone as well, his clinic will soon be populated with addicts. Methadone clinics are not always common, so when a new one arises, the patient list fills up quickly.
However, this is not the case with Suboxone. Thanks to a piece of legislation known as the DATA2000 (Drug Addiction Treatment Act of 2000) doctors are now able to apply for a waiver that allows them to prescribe Suboxone.
In some cases, they can. In certain designated methadone clinics, some physicians choose to offer both medications. However, it is rare for a Suboxone clinic to begin dispensing methadone after opening its doors to patients.
The reason these two medications are treated differently is because of their scheduling and their profile of effects. The DATA2000 chose to analyze the two drugs, and concluded the Suboxone was a far safer alternative to methadone. Suboxone runs less chance of risks and can be used for more effective treatment plans.
Methadone is a schedule I narcotic, making it a member of the most extensively regulated class of narcotics in the US. Methadone has also been used for a long time to treat pain when patients are resistant to other types of opioids like morphine or fentanyl. This means it is very well understood.
- Methadone has a high chance of abuse. It is an extremely potent opioid agonist, or a drug that stimulates your brain’s opioid receptors. Excessive stimulation of these receptors results in the effects that are associated with morphine: sedation, analgesia, euphoria, dizziness, and respiratory depression.
- Methadone also runs a much higher risk of causing overdoses than Suboxone. It is a full opioid agonist, which means it will continue activating the receptors beyond the point where the resulting effects could be fatal.
The buprenorphine in Suboxone is a schedule II narcotic. Schedule II, III, IV, and V narcotics are treated much less severely than schedule I narcotics.
- Buprenorphine is only a partial opioid agonist. This means it only partly activates the receptors. This limits the abuse potential of buprenorphine because the drug is able to completely occupy, or ‘fill up’ your receptor sites without fully activating them. In opioid naive individuals, this can still cause a risk of overdose, but with regular usage, overdose quite literally becomes impossible.
- Buprenorphine is also an ideal medication for minimizing drug abuse because of its high binding affinity. It essentially ‘glues’ itself to the receptors, without fully activating them, and most readily available opioids aren’t strong enough to displace the buprenorphine. This means that street addicts will no longer be motivated to go and score drugs illegally.
The simplest way would be to use our website to search for a suboxone doctor near you. In addition, you could try the following:
If there are any local rehab facilities, in your town or neighbouring locales, call them. They will probably have an up-to-date list of all clinics that are legally permitted to dispense methadone, Suboxone, or other opioid maintenance drugs.
Rehab facilities can also help provide you with information and advice on making the transition to Suboxone. They’ll be able to help you set up a taper plan, and can give you valuable knowledge that you might need to share with your doctor - since it’s relatively easy for a physician to get a waiver to dispense Suboxone, that means that many of them are not specialized for treating opioid addictions.
It would be a good idea to call your local hospital to ask them where you could find a Suboxone clinic.
Americans can use the Suboxone.com’s doctor location services to find a clinic close to them. Their database includes a relatively up-to-date list of all doctors legally obliged to prescribe Suboxone or other FDA-approved medications.
Take the first steps.
Suboxone is a very powerful and effective drug for people who are in need of opioid maintenance therapy. Fortunately, thanks to recent developments in the legal system and a gradually improving public opinion of OMT, Suboxone is much easier to obtain these days.
Still, the drug can be dangerous. It can be even more dangerous due to the fact that doctors who do not specialize in opioid addiction can still be qualified to dispense it. It’s best to do your own research and understand the mechanisms of Suboxone before asking for a prescription.
Learn more about Suboxone and use our directory to find a Suboxone doctor near you to discuss your healthcare options.