Medication-Assisted Treatment in Washington, DC

Medication-assisted treatment has been the most effective intervention for opioid use disorder for more than 50 years, but stigma and access barriers have kept it underused. For residents of Washington, District of Columbia looking for MAT, the first hurdle is often finding a provider who takes new patients and accepts your insurance. That is the hurdle Liberation Way's helpline is designed to help with.

MAT is not "replacing one drug with another." Someone taking a stable, prescribed dose of buprenorphine or methadone is not experiencing compulsive drug-seeking, loss of control, or escalating tolerance. They are taking a medication that normalizes brain chemistry disrupted by years of opioid use, the same way insulin normalizes blood sugar in diabetes. The American Society of Addiction Medicine, SAMHSA, the CDC, and the World Health Organization all recommend MAT as first-line treatment for opioid use disorder.

The three FDA-approved medications work differently. Buprenorphine is a partial opioid agonist, the most commonly prescribed option, and the easiest to start because it can be initiated in an outpatient setting. Methadone is a full opioid agonist with the strongest evidence base for severe, long-standing opioid dependence; it requires daily dosing at a licensed opioid treatment program. Naltrexone blocks opioid receptors rather than activating them, producing no dependence, but requires a 7-14 day detox before starting.

If you are trying to figure out which approach makes sense for your situation in Washington, our helpline can help. A treatment specialist will listen to what you are dealing with, help you understand the tradeoffs between the three medications, and connect you with a MAT provider who fits your needs. Call (866) 275-3142. Free, confidential, available 24/7.