Suboxone Treatment – Finding A Doctor Who Can Prescribe It Or A Rehab Center

Assisted treatments based on Suboxone are prescribed by doctors to people with opioid dependence. However, from the 800 000 physicians in the United States, only about 5% are allowed prescribe this substance and that is because special credentials are required in order to prescribe treatments to drug addicts.

Meeting the requirements of Drug Addiction Treatment Act

First of all, physicians must go through additional training in the management of narcotics addiction. There are special courses to this end, followed by clinical trials. Getting as much experience as possible is very important for doctors, for it makes them more competent. Once a doctor meets these requirements, he/ she can apply for getting a DEA registration number. Once the number is obtained, that doctor is allowed to treat only 30 patients at a time, during his/ her first year of certification; then the number of patients can go up to 100.

How to find a doctor in your area qualified to prescribe Suboxone treatment?

Sometimes locating a physician certified to treat opioid dependence can be challenging, therefore you may be required to use different strategies. The most common one is asking your current doctor; even if he/ she does not have the required credentials, he/ she should be able to recommend you someone else.

You can also use the internet; although not all doctors choose to be publicly listed, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has a list with a number of certified doctors. The problem is that most of these doctors already reached the maximum number of patients, so you should consider using the matching system created by NAABT, apply anonymously and wait for doctors who will respond when they have openings.  Drug treatment centers in Ohio off you the support you need to be freed from addiction.

Alternatively, stay informed about clinical trials being conducted in your area. You may be lucky and get treatment for free if you meet the qualifying criteria. U.S. National Institutes of Health has a list of the ongoing studies, so keep an eye on their website.

Rehab centers providing Suboxone treatment

Patients with opiate dependency who want to quit drugs altogether can opt for a detox program in a rehab center. You must do a little research and see if you can find such an establishment in your area. If you do, know that there are two types of provided treatment environments: inpatient (also known as residential) and outpatient.

Residential rehab facilities typically provide 1-3 months detox programs, including comprehensive services and counseling. On the other hand, outpatient facilities are more suitable for patients who already undertook an inpatient treatment and only seek to prevent relapse.

Once you complete the detox process, you should consider enrolling in a program created to help patients rebuild their life after opioid dependence.

Regardless your choices for undergoing this treatment, it will be prescribed individually by a qualified doctor, according to your needs, therefore, respecting the provided directions is equally important in the process. Besides the information that you will get from your doctor, you will find useful directions on the prescription label.