Bupe Access Tool

A note on methadone, naltrexone, and long-acting injectable bupe...or, why are they not included here?

You may notice that other medications for Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) - methadone, naltrexone, long-acting injectable bupe - are not included in our search tool. This is intentional and reflects the project's specific focus on pharmacy-based access to buprenorphine.

More about Methadone

Currently, strict federal regulations limit the dispensing of methadone for OUD to specialized Opioid Treatment Programs (OTPs), often called "methadone clinics." This means patients cannot get their methadone prescription filled at their community pharmacy, which is the focus of this project. Methadone is primarily dispensed at a specific clinic daily (or nearly daily), which can be its own significant barrier to care.

Restricting methadone access is a policy choice, not a medical necessity. Many other countries have safely integrated methadone dispensing into community pharmacies, including the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. In these places, a patient can pick up their medication from their local pharmacist, just like any other prescription. While we advocate for reduce methadone restrctions, this project is focused on improving access to buprenorphine through pharmacies.

More about Naltrexone and Long-acting Injectable Bupe

Naltrexone for OUD is most commonly prescribed as a long-acting injection. While this medication is often ordered through pharmacies, it is almost always administered in a medical setting, not dispensed directly to the patient at a pharmacy counter. Same with long-acting injectable bupe. The tablet form of naltrexone, while available at pharmacies, is less commonly used for OUD.

Because our tool is focused on medications that patients can pick up directly from a community pharmacy, we have focused exclusively on buprenorphine to ensure our data about pharmacy access is as clear and accurate as possible.

Find Methadone, Naltrexone, and Long-acting Injectable Buprenorphine Treatment

We recommend SAMHSA's Treatment Locator to find programs that use these medications (they should also include folks that prescribe bupe!).

Methadone Vans

We are not aware of a comprehensive, actively maintained list of methadone vans. This is a clever approach to increase access. If you have a resource we can link to, please reach out!