Buprenorphine Joins Methadone at 11 Opioid Treatment Centers

Eleven opioid treatment centers across six states are adding office based buprenorphine treatment alongside their existing methadone programs.

Patients at these sites can now receive an assessment for either medication without transferring to another provider. BAART Programs, part of BayMark Health Services, announced the expansion on September 3 2026.

For someone deciding how to manage opioid withdrawal and what comes next, this gives you a choice between two very different medication schedules within one clinical relationship.

Why Medical Detox Matters

Opioid withdrawal is rarely life threatening on its own. Still, it can become severe enough that people return to opioid use just to make the symptoms stop.

That makes medication an important part of treatment. Abrupt cessation also lowers opioid tolerance quickly. Returning to a previous dose after a period of abstinence can create a high risk of overdose.

Medication assisted treatment addresses these risks. MAT uses medication to stabilize opioid receptors and combines it with counseling and clinical support.

Neither methadone nor buprenorphine qualifies as detox in the short term sense. Clinicians can use both medications during a supervised taper. More often they use them as maintenance treatment for opioid use disorder.

Buprenorphine vs Methadone

Buprenorphine is a partial opioid agonist. It activates opioid receptors enough to prevent withdrawal and reduce cravings. Its effects plateau at higher doses which gives it a lower overdose risk profile than full agonists.

Clinicians often prescribe buprenorphine with naloxone. Suboxone is one brand name for this combination. The formulation also aims to discourage misuse by injection.

Methadone is a full opioid agonist with a long half life. Clinicians have used it to treat opioid use disorder for decades. It remains an appropriate option for many patients especially those with high tolerance or those who haven’t stabilized on buprenorphine.

The biggest difference in this announcement involves how patients receive the medications. Federally regulated opioid treatment programs dispense methadone for opioid use disorder. Patients typically visit the clinic frequently to receive their medication.

Clinicians can prescribe buprenorphine through an office based opioid treatment model for up to a month at a time for eligible patients. That can mean far fewer clinic visits.

What BAART Is Adding

BAART said each patient receives an assessment and an individualized treatment plan to determine whether buprenorphine, methadone or another level of support fits their needs.

Both treatment options at participating sites include individualized treatment planning, substance use counseling, recovery support services and ongoing medical and clinical support.

Dan Greer, Senior Vice President of Opioid Treatment Programs at BayMark Health Services, said opioid use disorder treatment isn’t one size fits all. He said adding buprenorphine at locations that already provide methadone gives patients more options while keeping their care with one treatment team.

Evelyn Sosa, who holds the same title at BayMark, said bringing the services together helps the organization meet patients where they are. Patients can receive either medication from a local team that focuses on helping them build stability.

The 11 participating locations are in Arizona, Kansas, Louisiana, Nebraska, South Dakota and Washington. Louisiana has four of the locations.

Availability, admission requirements, insurance coverage and payment options vary by location. BAART advises patients to contact their nearest participating site directly.

Visit Frequency Can Affect Treatment

Daily or near daily dosing visits can create a real barrier if you work, lack transportation or live far from a clinic. A monthly prescription can remove that barrier for eligible patients.

That doesn’t necessarily make buprenorphine the better medication for all patients. Many of them stay on methadone successfully. In some cases for people early in treatment, regular clinic visits can also provide useful structure and support.

The most practical value may be in offering both medications is the flexibility. Your treatment schedule can fit your circumstances instead of forcing you to use whichever medication the nearest clinic happens to offer.

Medical Safety

Opioid withdrawal has a different risk profile. You should still work with a clinician when starting or stopping buprenorphine or methadone.

Starting buprenorphine too soon after taking a full opioid agonist can trigger precipitated withdrawal. This can cause a sudden and severe increase in withdrawal symptoms.

Finding Medical Detox and MAT

If you’re looking for medically supervised withdrawal management or ongoing buprenorphine treatment, ask each program which medications it offers on site. You can also ask whether it operates an opioid treatment program or an office based model and how often you’ll need to visit.

Detox.com’s directory lets you search for detox and medication assisted treatment providers by location, level of care and insurance accepted. Call 800-996-6135Sponsored to learn more about your treatment options.