Office-Based Treatment of Opioid Dependence

After receiving special government certification, qualified physicians including psychiatrists can now prescribe buprenorphine, a medication which helps block the addicting qualities of opioid drugs. This treatment has been shown effective in helping control addictions to opioid pain medications and heroin, often in concert with psychotherapy, AA, or NA involvement. Buprenorphine (Suboxone, Subutex) is prescribed in the outpatient office setting and is a "mainstream" treatment option for patients who are physically dependent on pain medications such as Vicodin, OxyContin, or Percodan, or street drugs such as heroin. You may need a "withdrawal and substitution" program to get off current medication or drugs, and your doctor will direct this to minimize your discomfort. Some patients currently enrolled in Methadone maintenance programs may be candidates for Suboxone office treatment. Patients considering buprenorphine maintenance treatment should check with their insurance carrier if they expect insurance to pay for the care or medications. Suboxone and Subutex (buprenorphine) are available at most community pharmacies at a cost of about $100 - 150 per month for the average maintenance dose. Your doctor will periodically monitor your urine to test for drugs of abuse, will assess ongoing physical and mental health status, and coordinate care with other health care providers. Click here for a listing of all physicians in Minnesota who are credentialed to prescribe buprenophine (Suboxone, Subutex) or click here to do a more detailed search for physicians located in a specific county, city or zip code.
 
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