Medication for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD)
Medication for Opioid Use Disorder
Opioid use disorder (OUD) is a type of substance use disorder, a chronic condition characterized by a pattern of opioid use that causes significant impairment or distress to the person using opioids. Like many other chronic conditions, opioid use disorder can be managed with medications like buprenorphine, methadone and naltrexone. Collectively called MOUD–medications for opioid use disorder–these FDA-approved medications reduce withdrawal symptoms and cravings and decrease the risk of returning to use and dying of an overdose. However, fear of being judged or discriminated against keeps people with OUD from seeking the medication they need to support their recovery.
Research findings are clear: medications for opioid use disorder are the single most effective tool to promote long-term recovery. MOUD treatment can be combined with psychotherapy, support groups, or other treatment opportunities where available. The longer a person with OUD stays in medication treatment, the greater the chance of a successful recovery.
Each person has a personal path to recovery from opioid use disorder, and treatment with medication is a medical standard of care. It can help people begin their recovery, regain their lives and place in the community, and improve relationships with family and friends.
Explore below to learn more about the different medications used to treat OUD, local treatment providers, and how to fight MOUD stigma!
Medications for opioid use disorder are FDA-approved prescriptions that can support your recovery journey. People who stop using opioids often relapse (return to use) if they do not use medication to help them. Stopping and then restarting opioid use increases the chance of dying from an overdose.
Medications can help people be successful in their recovery by:
- Lowering the risk of relapse
- Lowering the risk of overdose death
- Increasing the time they stay in treatment
- Improving their lives and relationships with others
There are three medications approved to treat opioid use disorder.
Buprenorphine (Common brand names: Suboxone, Subutex)
- Helps with withdrawal
- You usually start by taking it daily as a tablet or film that dissolves under the tongue or in the cheek
- New rules now make it easier for health care providers to get a certificate (waiver) to prescribe buprenorphine, but not all clinics will offer it
- You typically get the prescription filled at a pharmacy
- In most cases, you can take it at home
- Once you have stabilized, your provider may recommend a long-acting form of buprenorphine, such as Sublocade (injection).
Methadone
- Helps with withdrawal
- You drink it
- You have to go to a clinic daily for the first 90 days of treatment
Naltrexone (Common brand name: Vivitrol)
- You must stop opioid use 7 to 10 days before starting
- You might be prescribed other medications to help with withdrawal symptoms
- Usually given as a shot once a month
For Cortland residents, there are four main treatment providers, but some primary care providers also provide some MOUD services. If you have a health care provider (doctor, nurse, etc.), start there. Ask them about methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone, and whether you can be prescribed one of these medications. If your health care provider is unable or unwilling to prescribe these medications, request a referral to another provider who can prescribe them.
Cayuga Addiction Recovery Services (CARS)
Based in Tompkins County but provides services to Cortland County residents including outpatient services substance use and mental health services. CARS offers methadone through their Opioid Treatment Program (OTP). They also offer other forms of Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) including buprenorphine (Suboxone) and naltrexone (Vivitrol) via telehealth. CARS has a men’s residential program in Trumansburg and is set to open a clinic in Cortland in early 2024.
(607)273-5500
Family and Children’s Counseling Services (FCCS)
Offers Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) including buprenorphine (Suboxone) and naltrexone (Vivitrol) to clients. Substance use and mental health counseling also available. Their mobile outreach team travels around the county supporting individuals through naloxone distribution, peer support, connecting individuals to MOUD or other forms of treatment. To reach their Outreach & Engagement (formerly COTI) Team, call (607)543-4262.
REACH Medical
Based in Ithaca (Tompkins County) but provides tele-services to many Cortland County residents. REACH Medical offers low-threshold buprenorphine and other harm reduction and treatment services. They currently offer same (or next day) induction on buprenorphine (Suboxone). They also offer other services including behavioral health, primary care, testing, outreach and other supports.
(607)273-7000
Syracuse Recovery Services (SRS)
Helio Health
If you know someone with opioid use disorder, help them figure out if MOUD is right for them: help them find and access resources and treatment providers, be an ally in fighting OUD and MOUD stigma.
If you know someone who is in MOUD treatment, let them know you support their efforts and recognize the courage it takes to break the cycle of drug dependence.
If someone you know has a family member in MOUD treatment, tell them how glad you are to hear it and how you hope their family member stays in that treatment as long as they need it.
Your encouragement matters because one of the reasons that some people leave MOUD treatment too soon, or never enter it at all, is lack of support from family and friends. The notion that MOUD “isn’t real recovery” has prevented too many people from using MOUD to succeed in recovery and there are challenges people in recovery face. Some challenges may include separating from previous drug-using social networks and managing anxiety and depression, withdrawal, and potential occasional relapse events. For a person with opioid use disorder, chances of recovery become much greater when MOUD treatment efforts are supported by friends, family, and the connections within their social networks, and transportation, housing, and employment are accessible in the community.
Returning to opioid use does not mean treatment has failed. As with the treatment of any substance use disorder, people may return to using opioids, but it does not mean treatment has failed. Treatment of any chronic condition involves changing deeply rooted behaviors. If a person returns to using opioids, they should talk with their healthcare provider and discuss their treatment plan.
