Buprenorphine Treatment

After evaluation for appropriateness of Buprenorphine as a treatment option the client will be seen daily for close monitoring with urine drug testing to assure client is not using other drugs and or alcohol that will place them in danger and will be dosed in office and will be observed that the medication is taken as directed. The first visit is usually 1-2 hours and the subsequent visits for dispense are 10-15 minutes. Once the client is on a stable dose of daily Buprenorphine which usually takes 7-10 days monthly Sublocade injection will be discussed as a maintenance therapy. Counseling is a must and not an option as part of medication assisted treatment.

The reason for daily dispense is the high incidence of Suboxone abuse. It is not uncommon that clients in the past have either shoot up Suboxone, not taking it and selling it or taking way more that prescribed. That is the reason that at Healing Corner we are not like many other clinics in town just write a Rx and hope for the best. We make sure that the treatment will result in desired outcome by assuring that client take their medicine as directed.

Daily Buprenorphine Dispense

We used to be just like the “Clinic next door” where we would prescribe Buprenorhine (SUBOXONE) hoping that it was the magic bullet that somehow our patients would take it as directed and kick their addiction.

It was naive of us to think that a person with a substance use disorder could manage their medication on their own.  We came to the realization that many of our patients, that we were seeing were either abusing the medication, diverting the medication, or not taking the medication the correct way.  

That is what lead us to doing daily dispense of Buprenorphine ( SUBOXONE) in our clinic, to assure that:

  • the medications ends up where they need to be
  •  that patient does not abuse the medication
  • and that patient takes medication in the correct way

Treatment that Works

In the years that we have been doing this, we and our patients, have seen more successful outcomes for those that are a fit for this form of treatment. 

Read our Buprenorphine Treatment Handbook for more information.

Open Medication Assisted Treatment Handbook