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Opioid Use Disorder Treatment in Arkansas: What Your Options Are
Arkansas is a mostly rural state where where you live shapes what treatment looks like. Federally certified opioid treatment programs, the only setting that can dispense methadone for opioid use disorder, sit almost entirely in the state’s population centers. A 2025 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General analysis found that Arkansas had opioid treatment programs in only four counties: Pulaski, Saline, Crawford, and Miller. For much of the state, buprenorphine prescribed in a doctor’s office and telehealth are what close the distance. The listings on this page show programs across Arkansas; the sections below explain how to read them and what to expect.
The three medications and the two places you can get them
Three medications are approved to treat opioid use disorder, and they work in different ways. Methadone is a full opioid agonist that steadies you and stops withdrawal and cravings. Buprenorphine, sold as Suboxone and other buprenorphine-naloxone products and as the extended-release monthly injection Sublocade, is a partial agonist with a built-in ceiling that lowers overdose risk. Naltrexone, including the monthly Vivitrol injection, blocks opioids entirely, and you have to be fully off opioids before starting it or it will trigger withdrawal.
Where you get each one matters as much as which one you choose. Methadone for opioid use disorder is provided only through licensed opioid treatment programs, not regular pharmacies. Buprenorphine, including Suboxone, can be prescribed in a doctor’s office and filled at a pharmacy, or provided through a clinic. Naltrexone can be prescribed by any licensed provider. That split is the single most useful thing to understand before you call, because a program that offers office-based buprenorphine is a different door than an opioid treatment program. If you are weighing the choice, it helps to read how methadone and Suboxone compare and to look at the details of how methadone treatment works. No single medication is right for everyone; that is a decision to make with a clinician.
Distance, take-home doses, and telehealth in a rural state
For many Arkansans, the nearest opioid treatment program is in another county, so the rules on take-home medication and telehealth are what make treatment workable. Federal rules updated in 2024 expanded take-home methadone, up to a 28-day supply for patients who are stable in treatment, with the program deciding eligibility based on how you are doing. Those same rules let treatment begin by telehealth and authorized mobile medication units that can reach communities without a fixed clinic.
Buprenorphine has more room still. As of 2026, it can be started through telehealth, including by phone in many cases, without a prior in-person visit. Those flexibilities run through the end of 2026 and the permanent rules are still being finalized, so confirm current options with a provider. Methadone is different: it is started and dispensed through an opioid treatment program, though some programs can begin treatment with a telehealth visit. If you are transferring into Arkansas or restarting after a gap, ask a program directly about guest dosing and how it handles transfers, and know that staying on a steady dose is part of what keeps long-term treatment working.
How to start, and what the first visit looks like
Starting usually begins with an intake assessment, where a clinician reviews your history and confirms a diagnosis. Bring an ID and insurance information if you have them, but not having insurance does not shut the door. One timing point matters if you have been using fentanyl: starting buprenorphine too soon after your last use can bring on sudden, severe withdrawal, called precipitated withdrawal, because fentanyl lingers in the body. This is manageable, and a clinician will time your first dose or use a low-dose start to avoid it, which is worth asking about when you call. You can read more about methadone treatment when fentanyl is involved and about opioid use disorder treatment generally. Some Arkansas programs offer same-day or next-day starts; the listings and the helpline on this page can point you to who is taking new patients.
Paying for treatment in Arkansas
Arkansas covers medication treatment for opioid use disorder through its Medicaid program, called ARHOME (Arkansas Health and Opportunity for Me), which for most adults is delivered through a private plan from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arkansas or Ambetter; people with a substance use disorder may instead be served through the PASSE managed care program. Under Act 964, Arkansas removed prior authorization for the preferred opioid use disorder medications on the state’s drug list, which cuts a common delay. If you are uninsured, the UAMS Psychiatric Research Institute Center for Addiction Services and Treatment distributes State Opioid Response funds to providers across Arkansas to cover medication and services for people who cannot pay. Private insurance and Medicare cover these medications as well, and some programs offer sliding-scale fees. Ask any program on this page what it accepts before your first visit.
Arkansas overdose deaths are falling, and treatment is why it can keep falling
The picture in Arkansas has improved. The Arkansas Department of Health’s provisional Vital Statistics data recorded 389 drug overdose deaths in 2024, down from 516 in 2023. Fentanyl and other synthetic opioids drove most of the deaths at the peak, making up about 52 percent of Arkansas overdose deaths in 2023, according to CDC data. Officials credit wider naloxone distribution as part of the decline. Numbers like these describe real losses in Arkansas communities, and they are also the reason access matters: medication treatment lowers the risk of a fatal overdose, and it is available across the state. If you want the wider context, our overview of opioid addiction covers how these medications reduce that risk.
Pregnancy, rural access, and the justice system
Some situations carry specific needs. For pregnant Arkansans, medication treatment with methadone or buprenorphine is the recommended standard of care, and staying in treatment protects both parent and baby; untreated withdrawal in pregnancy carries real risk. ARHOME’s Maternal Life360 program adds care coordination for high-risk pregnant and postpartum members. Fear of a child-welfare report keeps some people from seeking care, so it helps to know that getting into treatment is what the guidance points toward, not away from. Our page on methadone and pregnancy goes further, and families supporting someone can start with our guide for families. For people leaving jail or under court or probation supervision, ask a program whether it accepts your referral source and can provide documentation of attendance; continuity of medication through a transition in custody is important and worth arranging in advance.
Naloxone and staying safe
Naloxone, the medication that reverses an opioid overdose, is easy to get in Arkansas. A statewide standing order issued under Act 284 of 2017 lets any Arkansas pharmacist dispense it without an individual prescription, and community programs distribute it free, including by mail through Northwest Arkansas Harm Reduction. An over-the-counter version, Narcan nasal spray, is also sold without any prescription. Arkansas’s Good Samaritan protections, passed in 2015, offer limited immunity to someone who calls 911 for an overdose. Keep naloxone on hand if you or someone close to you uses opioids. A return to use can happen in any chronic condition and is something to respond to, not a failure. Our page on overdose risk and methadone has more on staying safe.
Common questions about treatment in Arkansas
Is methadone available at a pharmacy in Arkansas?
No. Methadone for opioid use disorder is dispensed only through a federally certified opioid treatment program, in Arkansas and everywhere else. Buprenorphine and naltrexone are different: a doctor can prescribe them and you can fill them at a pharmacy.
Can I start treatment by telehealth if the nearest clinic is far away?
Often, yes, for buprenorphine, which can be started by video or in many cases by phone through the end of 2026 without a prior in-person visit. Methadone must be dispensed at an opioid treatment program, though some programs can begin the process with a telehealth visit. Confirm current options with a provider.
What is the difference between methadone and Suboxone?
Methadone is a full opioid agonist dispensed daily at a clinic early on; Suboxone is buprenorphine with naloxone, a partial agonist with a lower overdose risk that a doctor can prescribe for pharmacy pickup. You can read a fuller comparison of the two. The right fit depends on your situation and is decided with a clinician.
Will Medicaid pay for it?
Arkansas Medicaid, through ARHOME, covers medications for opioid use disorder, and Act 964 removed prior authorization for the preferred options on the state drug list. If you are uninsured, State Opioid Response funds through UAMS help cover treatment for people who cannot pay.
Can I get take-home methadone doses?
Possibly. Federal rules updated in 2024 allow up to a 28-day supply of take-home methadone for patients who are stable in treatment, on a schedule the program sets. Eligibility is decided by the program based on how your treatment is going, so ask directly. Our page on common treatment questions covers more.
Last reviewed and disclosures
Last reviewed July 2026.
Sources
- Arkansas Department of Health, Substance Misuse Education and Prevention (provisional overdose deaths, 2024): healthy.arkansas.gov
- USAFacts, drawing on CDC data (fentanyl share of Arkansas overdose deaths, 2023): usafacts.org
- Arkansas Center for Health Improvement, U.S. HHS Office of Inspector General analysis (opioid treatment program county access, 2025): achi.net
- Arkansas Department of Human Services, ARHOME and PASSE: humanservices.arkansas.gov
- UAMS Psychiatric Research Institute, Center for Addiction Services and Treatment: psychiatry.uams.edu
- Arkansas Criminal Justice Institute, statewide naloxone standing order (Act 284 of 2017): cji.edu
- SAMHSA, DEA and HHS, telemedicine flexibilities through 2026 and 2024 42 CFR Part 8 update: samhsa.gov
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