What Is Medication for Opioid Use Disorder?

Methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone are FDA-approved medications for opioid use disorder. Learn how each works and where they are available.

Updated 2026

This guide is informational and is not medical advice.

Category: medications-and-mat · Updated 2026

Medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD), sometimes called medication-assisted treatment, uses FDA-approved medication to treat opioid use disorder. The three widely used options are methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone. For many people, medication reduces cravings and withdrawal, helps prevent return to use, and lowers the risk of overdose.

This guide explains the approved medications, where they are provided, and what to ask. It is informational only and not medical advice. Decisions about medication belong with a prescriber who knows the person's history.

The three FDA-approved options

Methadone. A full opioid agonist taken daily. In the United States, methadone for opioid use disorder is dispensed through federally regulated opioid treatment programs (OTPs), which also provide counseling. Because it is dispensed and supervised, it is not prescribed by a general clinic.
Buprenorphine. A partial opioid agonist, often combined with naloxone. It can be prescribed in office settings and taken at home, and it is also available as a long-acting injection. The requirement for a separate federal prescribing waiver was eliminated in 2023, which widened who can prescribe it.
Naltrexone. An opioid blocker available as a daily pill or a long-acting injection. It requires that a person be opioid-free for a period before starting, so it is not used during active withdrawal.

Where medication is available

Methadone is dispensed only through opioid treatment programs (OTPs), which you can locate in the SAMHSA national directory by choosing the Opioid Treatment Programs care type. Buprenorphine and naltrexone may be available from office-based prescribers, community health centers, and many outpatient substance-use programs, including some listed as drug and alcohol rehab.

Because a listing's services vary, confirm before you rely on it: does the program prescribe or dispense the medication you are asking about, is a prescriber available, and how are refills and dosing handled?

What medication can and cannot do

Medication treats the physiological part of opioid use disorder and can hold cravings and withdrawal in check so that counseling and other support have time to work. It does not by itself resolve housing, employment, trauma, or mental-health needs, and many people benefit from combining it with counseling and recovery support.

Medication is not a sign that someone is not really in recovery. National guidance treats MOUD as an evidence-based option, and the choice to use it, switch between options, or taper is a clinical decision made with a prescriber.

Questions to ask a provider

Which of the three medications do you provide?
Who prescribes, and how often are visits required?
What does a typical dosing schedule look like, including take-home options where available?
Is counseling required or included, and how does it fit in?
What does it cost, and which insurance or public coverage is accepted?
What happens if I miss doses or want to change or taper medication?

These listings are unrated; confirm services, licensing, cost, and availability directly with the provider.

Related guides

Frequently asked questions

Is medication for opioid use disorder just swapping one drug for another?

That framing is not supported by medical guidance. Methadone and buprenorphine are prescribed, monitored medications for a diagnosed condition, taken at stable doses to control cravings and withdrawal. National public-health and medical bodies treat them as evidence-based treatment, not as drug substitution.

Do I have to stop medication to be in recovery?

No. For many people, staying on medication long term is part of recovery. Whether and when to taper is a decision to make with a prescriber, based on the person's history and stability, not a fixed rule.

Can any doctor prescribe buprenorphine now?

The separate federal waiver that used to be required was eliminated in 2023, which means more clinicians can prescribe buprenorphine. Not every provider does, so ask directly whether buprenorphine is available and who prescribes it.

Where do I find an opioid treatment program?

Use the Opioid Treatment Programs care type in the SAMHSA national directory, or call the free SAMHSA National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357 for help locating one. Confirm the program's current services, cost, and availability directly.

Data sources

SAMHSA FindTreatment.gov. This guide is provided for information and is not medical advice. Processing date: 2026-10-08.

Required disclosures

For general information only, not medical advice. This website shares public data and general information. It does not offer medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment guidance, and it cannot replace a consultation with a qualified health care professional.

Independent and unaffiliated. RehabProviders.org is a private, independently run directory. It is not affiliated with, nor endorsed or operated by, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, or any government agency. SAMHSA has not reviewed or endorsed this site.

Confirm details before acting. Facility records come from public federal datasets and may lag or contain errors. These listings are unrated; always verify current services, licensing, availability, and cost directly with the provider.

In a crisis, get help now. Call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or call the SAMHSA National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357.

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