Buprenorphine
For opioid use
Eases withdrawal and cravings. Often combined with naloxone. Daily film or tablet, or a monthly shot.
Clinic visits, any level of care
Medication for addiction treatment (MAT)
Medicine that can quiet cravings and protect you from overdose, prescribed and explained by people who do this every day.
Saturday clinic hours
- How long
- As long as it helps. Some people take medication for months, many for years. Stopping is a plan you make with your prescriber, never a deadline.
- Where
- Clinic visits at Kestrel Avenue or by video in Montana. Medicine is filled at your own pharmacy.
- Self-pay
- $150 to $300 per month for visits, before insurance
What it is
Medication for opioid and alcohol use disorder is real medical treatment, the same way insulin is treatment for diabetes. It is not trading one drug for another. It can ease cravings and withdrawal so there is room for everything else: sleep, work, family, counseling.
Our physician and nurse practitioners can start medication in detox, in residential care, or at a regular clinic visit while you live at home. You can take part in counseling with us, or keep a therapist you already trust.
We talk through the options in plain words, including side effects, cost, and what happens if you want to stop later. You decide.
This may fit if
- You use opioids, including fentanyl or pain pills, and want help with cravings and withdrawal
- You want to cut back or stop drinking and would like medicine to help
- You were on medication before and want to restart
- You want a lower overdose risk while you work on everything else
Please start somewhere else if
- You need methadone: we coordinate with a licensed opioid treatment program in town and keep the rest of your care with us
Emergency: 911. Crisis: call or text 988. Poison Help: 1-800-222-1222.
The medicines, in plain words
General information only. Your prescriber explains how each one fits your health, other medicines and goals.
Naltrexone
For opioid or alcohol use
Blocks the effects of opioids and can reduce the urge to drink. Daily pill or monthly shot. Starts after withdrawal.
Acamprosate
For alcohol use
Can help with the restless, uneasy feeling some people have in the months after they stop drinking.
Methadone
For opioid use
Given only by licensed opioid treatment programs. We coordinate with one in town and keep the rest of your care here.
Everyone leaves with a naloxone (Narcan) kit. Tolerance drops quickly after a break from opioids, which raises overdose risk, so having it close matters.
What is included
- A full visit with a prescriber, usually within a few days of your first call
- Buprenorphine (often combined with naloxone) as a daily film or tablet, or a monthly shot
- Naltrexone as a daily pill or a monthly shot, for opioids or alcohol
- Other medicines for alcohol use disorder, like acamprosate
- A naloxone (Narcan) kit for you and the people around you
- Saturday clinic hours for people who work weekdays
How starting medication usually goes
-
Day 1
A visit with a prescriber: your health, your use, and what you want from medication
-
Day 1 to 3
Start the medicine, often at home with a nurse check-in by phone
-
Week 1
A follow-up visit to adjust the dose so cravings and withdrawal settle
-
Month 1
Visits every 1 to 2 weeks, then less often as things get steady
-
Ongoing
Regular visits for as long as the medicine helps you. There is no set end date.
Cost and insurance
What it costs, honestly
Most private plans, Montana Medicaid and Medicare cover buprenorphine and naltrexone, and many no longer need approval first. We check your pharmacy coverage too, because that is where surprise costs usually hide.
How insurance works hereSelf-pay ranges
- Prescriber visits Self-pay, before insurance; the medicine itself is billed by your pharmacy
- $150 to $300 per month
- First visit
- $225 to $350
Ranges, not quotes. Your real cost depends on your plan, your deductible and the care you choose. We tell you before you start.
Questions about medication
Is taking buprenorphine just replacing one drug with another?
No. When it is prescribed and taken as directed, buprenorphine treats a medical condition. It does not produce the same high, it lowers the risk of overdose, and it lets many people get back to work, family and sleep.
Do I have to be in a program to get medication?
No. Counseling is offered and often helps, but we will not hold medicine back because you are not ready for groups.
Can I get medication for alcohol too?
Yes. Naltrexone and acamprosate are two common options for alcohol use disorder. Your prescriber explains how each one works so you can choose.
Other programs
Confidential, always
Ready when you are. Or when they are.
Start a confidential intake in about five minutes, or call and talk it through with a real person. No pressure, no lecture, and nothing is decided until you say so.
Not for emergencies. If someone may be overdosing, call 911. In crisis, call or text 988.