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What Is a Suboxone Clinic?

Suboxone drug is a fairly new treatment program approved in the US that can help in the recovery of people suffering from addiction to opioids like heroin, methadone, and various pain medications. The drug contains buprenorphine and naloxone. Suboxone clinics are medication-assisted treatment (MAT) centers that help in the rehabilitation of patients who suffer from addiction to various opioids, using behavioral therapy and drugs. They provide assisted care to people suffering from addiction. These health clinics adopt counselling methods to help patients in their recovery from addiction. However, Suboxone clinics use drugs to eliminate or alleviate the physical symptoms of rehabilitation processes, such as withdrawal and relapse.

How to Find Suboxone Clinics Near Me

It is important for people struggling with opioid addiction to have help and support from medical professionals during their recovery. Patients can be assisted by doctors and healthcare professionals to speed up their recovery from addiction. Health care providers and doctors that work in these clinics must be duly registered and have special training that makes them qualified to administer the medication. As beneficial as this treatment is, it is equally important to finding a suitable Suboxone clinic near me. It can be overwhelming to consider what to look for in a good clinic. However, below is a guideline that can make this easier.

Suboxone Clinics Near Me Locator

Looking for a Suboxone clinic near me can be challenging, as there is a variety of them across the United States. Using the patient’s current location, the locator gives direction and navigation advice on how to find treatment centers close by. To find a suitable clinic, look into the clinic’s accreditations, certifications, and qualifications of its healthcare providers. The clinic’s website will usually provide this information.

Also, if the research is conducted online, the comments on the clinic’s page can be a good way to determine what to expect from the program. Some clinics may list their success rate. Ensure that this is backed up by proven research and verifiable statistics.

Doctor in suboxone clinic meets patient.

How Suboxone Treatment Works

This medication, issued in approved health care centers, is a combination medicine made up of key ingredients of buprenorphine and naloxone. Buprenorphine is a partial opioid agonist that produces the same effects as other opioids but on a weaker scale. When comparing Suboxone vs Methadone, buprenorphine/naloxone treatment makes recovery from addiction easier by reducing withdrawal symptoms and cravings without having the full effect of an opioid. Methadone is also used in some clinics to treat addiction. Naloxone, on the other hand, is an opioid antagonist that binds the opioid receptors in the brain. It is activated when the drug is abused to cause withdrawal symptoms in the patient. In this way, it acts as a check to the buprenorphine.
Together, these two ingredients work to reduce cravings in patients while simultaneously alleviating the withdrawal symptoms by binding themselves to the receptors in the brain. This drug, especially the buprenorphine component, makes recovery from opioid addiction easier. It was introduced to check the shortcomings of methadone. Suboxone is administered in various tablets or films that are meant to be dissolved in the mouth. Doctors administer a starting dose, and the dosage is reduced as time progresses.

A crucial part of this treatment is behavioral therapy. This involves counseling and support groups that work with patients to help them in their recovery from underlying behavior and thinking patterns that fuel the addiction. The therapy program is combined with the administration of the drug to improve patients’ lives and guarantee patients’ recovery from the addiction. It has been medically proven through various studies that youth that subscribed to this treatment are less likely to relapse or drop out of the rehabilitation program.

Benefits of Staying at the Suboxone Clinic

There is a range of healthcare services and rehabilitation centers that can help people suffering from addiction. However, these clinics offer some unique advantages and benefits.

The Benefits of Staying at a Clinic Are Explained Below:

Reduction of the Risk of Abuse

The use of buprenorphine at these health clinics prevents the risk of abuse by patients. The drug contains naloxone, a chemical that binds the opioid receptors and activates withdrawal symptoms in cases of abuse.

Naloxone reduces the risk of patients abusing the medication or any other opioid. A Swedish study showed that patients placed under this treatment program were less likely to leave the treatment, and a greater number of such patients were found to be opioid-negative.

Improvement Through Therapy

Suboxone clinics and rehabilitation centers usually use both medication and therapy programs for the treatment of patients. The physical symptoms of addiction are dealt with through the medicine prescribed. Underlying behaviors that cause addiction are also dealt with through therapy.

Some clinics may offer group counselling and one-on-one counselling sessions that foster a sense of accountability and encouragement. Some studies have shown that these therapy sessions administered alongside medication are beneficial to patients.

Affordability

Although there may be cheaper alternatives to this treatment, this drug will allow patients to fully maximize the rehabilitation program. Most clinics have affordable packages, and the cost of this treatment is usually covered by insurance. Long term, subscribing to this treatment helps in saving money.

Impressive Success Rate

Unlike methadone, this drug reduces withdrawal symptoms of recovering patients and prevents relapse and abuse. A study showed that the use of this treatment reduced the rate of overdose-related deaths in a particular city. These clinics have been proven to be successful rehabilitation centers for recovering addicts.

Potential Disadvantages of the Suboxone

Although this program is highly beneficial for the health of individuals addicted to opioids, it is not without its drawbacks.

Some Disadvantages of the Drug Are Described Below:

Increased Dependency

One major problem with the drug is that some patients become unhealthily dependent on it, thereby defeating the purpose of the treatment. Some patients are unable to stop or withdraw completely from the medication after a while. The doctor is supposed to prescribe the appropriate dosage, to prevent increased dependency on it.

Side Effects

The treatment, which uses buprenorphine and naloxone, has side effects that may make using the drug uncomfortable. Some of  buprenorphine/naloxone side effects include numbness, insomnia, difficulty concentrating, headaches, and constipation.

The Elimination Half-Life

Suboxone may be detected in the body fluids for up to 8 days after the last dose. If someone has been abusing it for a long time, the duration can further extend to about two weeks.

Managing Opioid Addiction: How to Choose a Clinic?

Opioid addiction has led to the death of a devastating number of people. The use of this drug has been shown to reduce the death rate by over 40%.  Finding the right clinic that suits individual preferences and needs can be daunting. However, there are some major things that should be considered when selecting a clinic.

Prepare the Questions

While compiling and researching suitable clinics, it is important to have a list of questions to ask the medical providers. Based on the most important requirements, prepare a list of questions to ask the doctors that will help in determining if the Suboxone clinic is a good fit.

Research the Therapy Programs They Offer

Some clinics that seem to fit an individual’s preferences may not necessarily have a suitable therapy program. It is important to choose Suboxone clinics that have an individualized approach to their patients. These clinics should offer a range of therapy options like one-on-one counselling, group therapy, and family therapy. It is advisable to select clinics that take a personal history, needs, and preferences into consideration.

Consider the Finances

Consider health insurance and financial budget while selecting a Suboxone clinic near me. Some clinics may have packages that will be less costly in the long run. Depending on the patient’s needs and preferences, it is advisable to consider available resources before choosing a clinic.

Patient during Suboxone clinic assessment

Suboxone Centers: A Convenient Way to Treat Addiction

Suboxone clinics have a vast range of benefits that makes them a convenient choice for the treatment of patients recovering from addiction. However, there are many things to consider before choosing a particular clinic. Suboxone clinics locator may help to choose the best option for the treatment of opioid addiction.


Page Sources

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  2. Weill Cornell Medicine, Joan and Sanford I. Weill Department of Medicine, https://medicine.weill.cornell.edu/divisions-programs/public-health-programs/suboxone-program
  3. NIDA. 2021, April 13. How do medications to treat opioid use disorder work? https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/medications-to-treat-opioid-addiction/how-do-medications-to-treat-opioid-addiction-work
  4. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA), Buprenorphine Practitioner Locator https://www.samhsa.gov/medication-assisted-/practitioner-program-data/-practitioner-locator
  5. National Institutes of Health, Extended Suboxone Substantially Improves Outcomes for Opioid-Addicted Young Adults, 2004 https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/extended-suboxone--substantially-improves-outcomes-opioid-addicted-young-adults
  6. Carroll KM., Weiss RD. The role of behavioral interventions in buprenorphine maintenance: a review. Am J Psychiatry. 2017. August 1; 174 8: 738- 747. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27978771/
  7. Schwartz, R. P., Gryczynski, J., O'Grady, K. E., Sharfstein, J. M., Warren, G., Olsen, Y., Mitchell, S. G., & Jaffe, J. H. (2013). Opioid agonists and heroin overdose deaths in Baltimore, Maryland, 1995-2009. American journal of public health, 103(5), 917–922. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3670653/
  8. Larochelle MR, Bernson D, Land T, et al. Medication for Opioid Use Disorder After Nonfatal Opioid Overdose and Association With Mortality: A Cohort Study. Ann Intern Med. 2018;169(3):137-145. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29913516/

Published on: October 9th, 2021

Updated on: March 21st, 2023

About Author

Roger Weiss, MD

Dr. Roger Weiss is a practicing mental health specialist at the hospital. Dr. Weiss combines his clinical practice and medical writing career since 2009. Apart from these activities, Dr. Weiss also delivers lectures for youth, former addicts, and everyone interested in topics such as substance abuse and treatment.

Medically Reviewed by

Michael Espelin APRN

8 years of nursing experience in wide variety of behavioral and addition settings that include adult inpatient and outpatient mental health services with substance use disorders, and geriatric long-term care and hospice care.  He has a particular interest in psychopharmacology, nutritional psychiatry, and alternative treatment options involving particular vitamins, dietary supplements, and administering auricular acupuncture.

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