Find Medication-Assisted Treatment Programs Near You
Medication-assisted treatment uses approved medications as part of care for substance use disorders, especially opioid and alcohol use disorders. Depending on the condition, treatment may include buprenorphine, methadone, naltrexone, acamprosate, or disulfiram along with medical care, counseling, behavioral therapy, recovery support, and treatment for co-occurring mental health conditions. Compare medication access, level of care, clinical services, insurance, and continuing treatment before choosing a program.
Confidential support · Opioid and alcohol treatment · Compare medication and level of care
Medication-assisted treatment is evidence-based addiction treatment that includes medication when medication is appropriate for the substance use disorder.
For opioid use disorder, the FDA-approved medications are buprenorphine, methadone, and naltrexone. For alcohol use disorder, commonly used FDA-approved medications include naltrexone, acamprosate, and disulfiram. Medication can be combined with counseling, behavioral treatment, medical care, psychiatric services, and recovery support based on the person’s needs.
What is medication-assisted treatment?
Medication-assisted treatment, or MAT, is a familiar public term for using medications as part of treatment for a substance use disorder. The term is still widely used by patients, treatment centers, insurers, and healthcare systems.
Current federal resources increasingly use more specific language. Medications for opioid use disorder are commonly abbreviated as MOUD, while medications for alcohol use disorder may be described as MAUD. These terms make clear that medication is itself an evidence-based treatment rather than simply an optional add-on to counseling.
Medication does not determine the level of care. A person may receive medication while attending standard outpatient treatment, IOP, PHP, residential treatment, an opioid treatment program, primary care, or another clinical setting. The correct setting depends on withdrawal risk, substance use, medical and psychiatric needs, home stability, and the amount of structure required.
- MAT is a treatment approach, not a single level of care
- MOUD refers specifically to medications for opioid use disorder
- MAUD refers to medications used for alcohol use disorder
- Medication choice should follow an individual clinical assessment
- Behavioral and recovery services can be added according to individual needs
- Medication may continue for months, years, or longer when clinically appropriate
MAT can be part of outpatient, IOP, PHP, residential, and opioid treatment programs
Choosing medication and choosing a level of care are related decisions, but they are not the same decision.
Standard Outpatient
Medication may be prescribed through primary care, addiction medicine, psychiatry, or another outpatient clinician while the patient continues living at home.
IOP or PHP
Medication can be combined with structured group and individual treatment when someone needs more clinical support than ordinary outpatient appointments provide.
Residential Treatment
Residential programs may provide or coordinate addiction medications while the patient lives in a structured treatment environment.
Opioid Treatment Programs
SAMHSA-certified opioid treatment programs provide medications for opioid use disorder, including methadone, and may also provide buprenorphine and other clinical services.
Medications used to treat opioid use disorder
The FDA has approved three medications for opioid use disorder: buprenorphine, methadone, and naltrexone. The best choice depends on clinical history, current opioid use, treatment goals, previous medication experience, access, medical conditions, and patient preference.
Buprenorphine
Buprenorphine is a partial opioid agonist used to reduce opioid withdrawal and cravings. It is available in several formulations, including products combined with naloxone and long-acting injectable formulations.
- Can be prescribed in office-based and other outpatient settings
- Reduces opioid withdrawal symptoms and cravings
- Can be used for ongoing maintenance treatment
- Available in daily and long-acting formulations
- Initiation should be planned around recent opioid use
- Can be coordinated with therapy, IOP, PHP, or residential treatment
Methadone
Methadone is a long-acting full opioid agonist used to treat opioid use disorder. When methadone is used for OUD in the United States, it is generally dispensed through a SAMHSA-certified opioid treatment program.
- Reduces opioid withdrawal and cravings
- Can be effective for severe or long-standing opioid use disorder
- Provided for OUD through certified opioid treatment programs
- Take-home dosing may become available according to clinical and regulatory criteria
- Can be combined with counseling and other behavioral health services
- Continuity is especially important during transitions between treatment settings
Naltrexone
Naltrexone is an opioid antagonist rather than an opioid agonist. Extended-release injectable naltrexone is approved for opioid use disorder and is also used for alcohol use disorder.
- Blocks opioid effects rather than activating opioid receptors
- Does not cause opioid physical dependence
- Requires an adequate opioid-free period before OUD treatment begins
- Can cause precipitated withdrawal if started while opioids remain active in the body
- Extended-release treatment reduces the need for daily dosing
- Loss of opioid tolerance remains important when treatment is stopped or missed
How are buprenorphine, methadone, and naltrexone different?
All three are legitimate evidence-based treatments for opioid use disorder, but they work differently and have different access requirements.
Buprenorphine: flexible access
Buprenorphine can be prescribed by appropriately authorized clinicians in office-based settings. The former federal X-waiver requirement was eliminated, expanding the number of clinicians who can prescribe it, subject to applicable federal and state requirements.
Methadone: OTP-based treatment
Methadone for opioid use disorder is generally delivered through certified opioid treatment programs. OTP care can include medication dosing, counseling, medical services, and other recovery supports.
Naltrexone: opioid antagonist
Naltrexone does not activate opioid receptors, but a patient must be free of opioids for an appropriate period before beginning it for OUD. The timing needs to be determined clinically because starting too soon can trigger severe withdrawal.
Medications used in treatment for alcohol use disorder
Medication-assisted treatment is not limited to opioids. FDA-approved medications can also be used as part of treatment for alcohol use disorder.
Naltrexone
Naltrexone can be used for alcohol use disorder in oral or extended-release injectable forms. It affects the rewarding effects associated with alcohol and may help reduce drinking and support treatment goals for appropriate patients.
- Available in oral and extended-release injectable forms for AUD
- Also used as an extended-release medication for OUD
- Opioid use must be carefully reviewed before naltrexone is started
- Medication selection should consider liver health and other clinical factors
Acamprosate
Acamprosate is an FDA-approved medication for alcohol use disorder. It is generally used to support continued abstinence after alcohol has been stopped.
- Does not create an aversive alcohol reaction
- Can support maintenance of abstinence
- Kidney function and other medical factors affect whether it is appropriate
- Requires a regular medication schedule
Disulfiram
Disulfiram interferes with alcohol metabolism and can cause an unpleasant and potentially serious reaction if alcohol is consumed. It is used differently from medications that primarily target craving or reward.
- Alcohol must be avoided while taking the medication
- Alcohol can also be present in some products and preparations
- Adherence and patient understanding are especially important
- Medical review is necessary before and during treatment
Does every addiction have an approved medication?
No. Medication treatment is highly important for opioid and alcohol use disorders, but there is not currently an FDA-approved medication specifically for every substance use disorder.
Stimulant Use Disorders
There is currently no FDA-approved medication specifically for stimulant use disorder. Behavioral approaches, including contingency management and other evidence-based therapies, are central to treatment.
Cannabis Use Disorder
There is no FDA-approved medication specifically for cannabis use disorder. Treatment may focus on behavioral therapy, motivation, coping skills, sleep, mental health symptoms, and recovery support.
Polysubstance Use
Medication may still treat one part of a polysubstance problem, such as opioid or alcohol use disorder, while therapy and medical care address the other substances and associated risks.
Who may benefit from medication-assisted addiction treatment?
Medication decisions are individualized. A clinical evaluation can help determine whether medication is appropriate, which medication to consider, and what level of treatment should surround it.
Opioid Use Disorder
People using fentanyl, heroin, oxycodone, hydrocodone, or other opioids should be informed about FDA-approved medications for OUD rather than assuming abstinence-only treatment is the only option.
Alcohol Use Disorder
Medication may be considered alongside behavioral treatment for people trying to reduce harmful drinking, maintain abstinence, or improve outcomes after withdrawal management.
Repeated Return to Use
A person who repeatedly returns to opioid or alcohol use after detox, residential treatment, or outpatient care may benefit from reviewing whether an appropriate medication has been included in the treatment plan.
Significant Cravings
Medication can target biological aspects of opioid or alcohol use disorders that counseling alone may not adequately address, including withdrawal, craving, or the reinforcing effects of substance use.
Transitioning Between Levels of Care
Medication continuity can be especially important when moving from detox or residential care into PHP, IOP, outpatient care, recovery housing, or independent living.
Co-occurring Mental Health Needs
Addiction medications can be incorporated into a broader plan that also treats depression, anxiety, PTSD, bipolar disorder, or other psychiatric conditions.
What medication treatment does and does not do
Medication can be one of the most important parts of addiction treatment, but the treatment plan still needs to address the complete clinical picture.
It can reduce withdrawal and cravings
Buprenorphine and methadone can suppress opioid withdrawal and cravings. Other medications target different aspects of opioid or alcohol use disorder.
It is not simply replacing one addiction with another
FDA-approved medications used as prescribed are evidence-based medical treatments. Physical dependence on a medication is not the same as uncontrolled compulsive substance use.
It does not automatically require residential rehab
Some patients receive medication in routine outpatient care. Others need IOP, PHP, residential treatment, or another structured level because of additional clinical risks.
Medication can continue long term
There is no universal rule requiring a person to stop an effective OUD medication after a fixed number of weeks or months. Duration should be individualized with the treating clinician.
Counseling can help without becoming a barrier
Counseling, behavioral therapy, peer support, and other services can strengthen treatment. For OUD, access to medication should not be made contingent on a person’s willingness or ability to participate in every additional service.
Medication does not replace emergency care
Overdose, severe withdrawal, suicidality, psychosis, delirium, or other acute medical and psychiatric emergencies require immediate evaluation regardless of the long-term medication plan.
What happens when medication-assisted treatment begins?
The exact process depends on the substance use disorder and medication, but treatment usually begins with assessment rather than simply selecting a medication from a list.
Clinical Assessment
The clinician reviews current and recent substance use, withdrawal history, overdose history, medications, medical conditions, mental health symptoms, prior treatment, pregnancy when relevant, and treatment goals.
Medication Selection
The treatment team discusses medication options, benefits, risks, previous experience, access, dosing requirements, possible interactions, and the patient’s preferences.
Initiation and Monitoring
The medication is started according to its clinical requirements. Symptoms, cravings, side effects, substance use, safety, adherence, and response are monitored as treatment continues.
Continuing Treatment
Medication may continue alongside therapy, medical care, psychiatric treatment, recovery support, and changes in level of care. The plan should be reassessed over time rather than ending medication automatically.
Do you need a special MAT clinic to receive buprenorphine?
Not necessarily. Federal law no longer requires the former DATA or X-waiver for qualified practitioners to prescribe buprenorphine for opioid use disorder. Clinicians with the appropriate DEA registration and prescribing authority may prescribe buprenorphine for OUD, subject to applicable federal and state requirements.
This means buprenorphine treatment may be available through addiction medicine, primary care, psychiatry, outpatient behavioral health practices, opioid treatment programs, and other healthcare settings.
Access can still vary by state, provider, pharmacy, insurance network, and whether the clinician offers OUD treatment.
- Ask whether the clinician currently treats opioid use disorder
- Confirm which buprenorphine formulations are offered
- Ask how treatment is started for patients using fentanyl or other opioids
- Ask how often follow-up visits occur
- Confirm whether telehealth is available when appropriate
- Ask how medication continues if a higher level of care becomes necessary
How does methadone treatment work?
Methadone treatment for opioid use disorder operates differently from ordinary office-based prescribing in the United States.
Certified OTP Access
Methadone used to treat opioid use disorder is generally dispensed through a SAMHSA-certified opioid treatment program. OTPs operate under federal and state requirements for opioid treatment.
Clinical Services
OTP treatment may include medication dosing, medical assessment, counseling, toxicology testing, infectious-disease services, overdose prevention, case management, and other behavioral health care.
Take-Home Medication
Methadone treatment does not necessarily mean daily observed dosing forever. Current federal rules allow take-home medication according to clinical judgment and applicable program and regulatory requirements.
Is medication-assisted treatment the same as detox?
No. Detox or withdrawal management focuses on safely managing the period when a person stops or reduces substance use. Medication treatment can begin during stabilization in some cases and may continue long after acute withdrawal has ended.
For opioid use disorder, detoxification without ongoing treatment can leave a person vulnerable to return to opioid use and overdose as tolerance decreases. A continuing plan should be discussed before withdrawal management ends.
Alcohol withdrawal can become medically dangerous for some people. Medications such as naltrexone, acamprosate, or disulfiram are used for ongoing alcohol use disorder treatment, but they should not be confused with medications used to manage acute alcohol withdrawal.
- Ask whether withdrawal management is needed before outpatient treatment
- Ask whether medication can begin during detox when appropriate
- Confirm what medication and clinical care continue after discharge
- Do not assume completing detox means the substance use disorder has been fully treated
Medication-assisted treatment and mental health care
Addiction medication may be one part of a broader treatment plan when depression, anxiety, PTSD, bipolar disorder, psychosis, ADHD, trauma-related symptoms, or other mental health conditions occur alongside substance use.
Medication Review
The treatment team should review addiction medications, psychiatric prescriptions, over-the-counter medicines, and other substances together so interactions, sedation, adherence, and safety risks can be addressed.
Integrated Assessment
Intoxication, withdrawal, sleep deprivation, and substance effects can sometimes resemble psychiatric symptoms. Reassessment over time can help clarify diagnoses and treatment needs.
One Continuing Plan
Strong dual diagnosis treatment coordinates addiction medication, psychiatric medication, therapy, crisis planning, relapse prevention, and continuing care instead of treating each problem separately.
Do you have to attend counseling to receive medication?
Counseling and behavioral services can be valuable parts of addiction treatment, but medication access for opioid use disorder should not be unnecessarily blocked when a person cannot or does not choose to participate in every additional service.
Offer Whole-Person Care
Therapy, psychiatric care, family services, peer support, case management, housing assistance, and medical care can be offered according to the person’s needs and goals.
Do Not Create Unnecessary Barriers
FDA guidance states that OUD medication treatment should include an offer of counseling or other services when possible, but medication should not be contingent on choosing those additional services.
Match Services to the Patient
Someone with unstable housing, severe psychiatric symptoms, repeated overdose, or major functional problems may need much more than a prescription, while another person may remain stable with office-based medication and periodic follow-up.
Need medication treatment, more structured rehab, or both?
Medication can be provided at several levels of addiction treatment. If outpatient medication alone is not enough because of withdrawal risk, repeated substance use, overdose history, psychiatric symptoms, or an unsafe home environment, compare detox, residential treatment, PHP, IOP, and other programs that can support medication as part of a more structured plan.
Medication can be part of treatment at different levels of care
The goal is not simply to locate a facility that says it offers MAT. Confirm that the program supports the medication you need and provides enough clinical structure for your current situation.
Outpatient medication may be enough
Office-based or outpatient treatment may fit someone who is medically stable, can safely live at home, can take medication as directed, and does not need intensive daily structure.
- Stable home or recovery environment
- No need for 24-hour supervision
- Withdrawal can be managed safely
- Can attend follow-up appointments consistently
- Can manage medication safely between visits
You may need IOP or PHP with medication
More structured outpatient treatment may help when medication is appropriate but cravings, psychiatric symptoms, repeated substance use, or recovery instability require frequent therapy and monitoring.
- Repeated return to substance use
- Need several treatment sessions each week
- Co-occurring mental health treatment is needed
- Recently completed detox or residential care
- Needs additional structure while living outside treatment
You may need detox or residential treatment
Medication does not make every patient safe for outpatient treatment. Significant withdrawal, overdose risk, severe psychiatric symptoms, medical instability, or an unsafe living environment can require a more intensive setting.
- Risk of dangerous withdrawal
- Recent overdose or frequent high-risk use
- Cannot remain safe outside treatment
- Severe psychiatric or medical instability
- No safe or stable place to stay
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How do you compare medication-assisted treatment programs?
A program saying that it offers MAT is only the beginning. Confirm the medication, prescriber access, level of care, treatment philosophy, monitoring, and plan for keeping medication available during transitions.
Ask which medications are actually offered
Confirm whether the program provides buprenorphine, methadone coordination, naltrexone, acamprosate, disulfiram, or other clinically appropriate medications rather than assuming every MAT provider offers every option.
Ask who prescribes
Determine whether medication is managed by an on-site physician or advanced practice clinician, an opioid treatment program, an outside addiction specialist, primary care, or another provider.
Check the treatment philosophy
Ask whether the program supports maintenance medication when clinically appropriate or expects patients to taper on a preset schedule regardless of individual response.
Confirm continuity between levels of care
Medication should not disappear simply because a person moves from detox to residential treatment, from residential to PHP, or from IOP to ordinary outpatient care. Ask how transitions are coordinated.
Review mental and medical health capability
Co-occurring psychiatric conditions, pregnancy, chronic pain, liver or kidney disease, other prescriptions, and polysubstance use can affect medication and level-of-care decisions.
Understand costs and insurance
Confirm whether medication, physician visits, injections, toxicology testing, therapy, and the treatment program itself are billed together or separately.
What should families know about medication-assisted treatment?
Families sometimes worry that medications such as buprenorphine or methadone simply replace one opioid with another. That misunderstanding can create pressure to stop an effective medication too early.
These medications are prescribed and monitored as medical treatment for opioid use disorder. The goal is to reduce uncontrolled opioid use, withdrawal, cravings, overdose risk, and other harms while supporting recovery and day-to-day functioning.
Family involvement can focus on medication safety, overdose prevention, transportation, treatment participation, communication, and recognizing changes that may signal a need for more support.
- Learn why the specific medication was selected
- Keep medications stored securely, especially around children
- Keep naloxone available when opioid overdose risk exists
- Avoid pressuring someone to discontinue medication without clinical guidance
- Know what to do if medication is missed or treatment is interrupted
- Learn the signs of overdose, severe withdrawal, or psychiatric crisis
Medication-Assisted Treatment Access
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Medication-assisted treatment questions
Common questions about MAT, MOUD, buprenorphine, methadone, naltrexone, alcohol medications, counseling, detox, treatment length, and finding medication-supportive addiction care.
What does MAT stand for?
MAT stands for medication-assisted treatment. It commonly refers to using approved medications as part of treatment for substance use disorders. Current clinical language increasingly uses MOUD for medications for opioid use disorder and MAUD for medications for alcohol use disorder.
What medications are used for opioid addiction?
The FDA-approved medications for opioid use disorder are buprenorphine, methadone, and naltrexone. They work differently, and the appropriate option depends on the person’s current opioid use, treatment history, medical needs, access, and preferences.
What medications are used for alcohol addiction?
FDA-approved medications used for alcohol use disorder include naltrexone, acamprosate, and disulfiram. Medication choice depends on treatment goals, recent alcohol and opioid use, medical conditions, other medications, and clinical assessment.
Is Suboxone considered MAT?
Yes. Suboxone contains buprenorphine and naloxone and is one formulation used in medication treatment for opioid use disorder. Buprenorphine is now commonly discussed under the term MOUD.
Is methadone considered MAT?
Yes. Methadone is an FDA-approved medication for opioid use disorder. In the United States, methadone used for OUD is generally dispensed through SAMHSA-certified opioid treatment programs.
Is Vivitrol used for opioid and alcohol addiction?
Extended-release injectable naltrexone is approved for both opioid use disorder and alcohol use disorder. For OUD, a person must be opioid-free for an appropriate period before naltrexone is started to avoid precipitated withdrawal.
Does MAT just replace one drug with another?
No. Medications such as buprenorphine and methadone are evidence-based treatments used at controlled therapeutic doses to treat opioid use disorder. Physical dependence on a prescribed medication is different from uncontrolled addiction characterized by compulsive use and harm.
Do I have to go to rehab to receive MAT?
Not always. Some medications can be provided through outpatient medical care. Other people benefit from IOP, PHP, residential treatment, or another structured program because medication alone does not address all of their clinical or environmental needs.
Do I need a special X-waiver doctor for buprenorphine?
No. The federal X-waiver requirement was eliminated. Practitioners with appropriate DEA registration and prescribing authority may prescribe buprenorphine for opioid use disorder, subject to applicable federal and state requirements.
Do I have to attend counseling to receive buprenorphine?
Counseling and behavioral services should be offered when useful and available, but FDA guidance states that medication treatment for OUD should not be contingent on a person’s participation in those additional services. Buprenorphine can still benefit patients when counseling is not immediately available.
How long can someone stay on buprenorphine or methadone?
Treatment duration is individualized. SAMHSA notes that medications for opioid use disorder can be used safely long term, and some people remain on medication for extended periods. Discontinuation should be planned with the treating clinician rather than based on an arbitrary deadline.
Can MAT be started during detox?
In some situations, yes. Buprenorphine or methadone treatment for OUD may begin during withdrawal management or another treatment episode. The timing depends on the medication, current opioid exposure, withdrawal status, and clinical plan.
Can someone take MAT medication in residential rehab?
Yes, some residential programs provide or coordinate medications for opioid or alcohol use disorder. Ask directly whether the program supports the specific medication and how prescribing and dosing are handled throughout the stay.
Can you work while receiving MAT?
Many people receive medication treatment while working, attending school, parenting, and living at home. Whether that is appropriate depends on medication response, substance use, safety, occupation, and whether a more intensive level of treatment is needed.
Does insurance cover medication-assisted treatment?
Coverage varies by insurance plan, medication, provider, pharmacy network, level of care, and authorization requirements. Confirm coverage for both the medication and any accompanying treatment services before admission or prescribing when possible.
What should I ask a MAT program?
Ask which medications are available, who prescribes them, how treatment is initiated, whether medication can continue long term, how counseling and psychiatric services are offered, how higher levels of care are handled, whether naloxone is provided, and how medication continues after discharge.
Continue comparing addiction treatment
Learn how medication fits with opioid rehab, detox, structured outpatient treatment, residential care, and dual diagnosis services.
Opioid Rehab
Compare treatment for fentanyl, heroin, prescription opioids, withdrawal, overdose risk, and medications for opioid use disorder.
Detox Centers
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IOP Programs
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Dual Diagnosis
Learn how addiction medication and psychiatric treatment can be coordinated when mental health conditions occur alongside substance use.
Evidence and guidance used for this medication treatment guide
This page provides general information about medication treatment for substance use disorders. Medication selection, dosing, initiation, withdrawal management, interactions, pregnancy considerations, treatment duration, and level of care require individual clinical assessment.
- SAMHSA: Treatment Options for Substance Use Disorder
- SAMHSA TIP 63: Medications for Opioid Use Disorder
- SAMHSA: Buprenorphine
- SAMHSA: Methadone
- SAMHSA: Naltrexone
- SAMHSA: Acamprosate
- SAMHSA: Disulfiram
- National Institute on Drug Abuse: Medications for Opioid Use Disorder
- National Institute on Drug Abuse: Treatment for Substance Use Disorders
- FDA: Information About Medications for Opioid Use Disorder
- FDA: Prescribing Medications for Opioid Use Disorder
- SAMHSA: MAT Act and Buprenorphine Waiver Elimination
- American Society of Addiction Medicine: National Practice Guideline for Opioid Use Disorder
- SAMHSA FindTreatment.gov: Behavioral Health Treatment Locator
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