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Sponsored| Name | Address | City |
|---|---|---|
| BHG Medical Services Jonesboro | 5510 Southwest Drive Suite 8 | Jonesboro |
| Northeast Arkansas Treatment Services | 912 Osler Dr B | Jonesboro |
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Opioid Use Disorder Treatment in Jonesboro, Arkansas
Jonesboro, the seat of Craighead County, sits at the center of Northeast Arkansas health care, which is why people from across the Delta and the surrounding rural counties travel here for opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment. Medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) include three options: methadone, buprenorphine (including Suboxone), and naltrexone (including the Vivitrol injection).
In the Jonesboro area, methadone is dispensed through an opioid treatment program (OTP), while buprenorphine and naltrexone can also be prescribed in a doctor’s office and filled at a pharmacy. The providers listed on this page are a starting point, and the site helpline is there if you want to talk through the options first.
Which Medication, and Where You Get It
Knowing what each medication does, and where you can get it, makes the listings easier to read.
Methadone is a full opioid agonist that eases withdrawal and cravings. For opioid use disorder, it is provided only through a licensed opioid treatment program, not a regular pharmacy, which usually means daily visits at first and take-home doses as treatment stabilizes.
Buprenorphine, including Suboxone and other buprenorphine-naloxone products, partially activates the same receptors and carries a lower overdose risk because of a built-in ceiling effect. It can be prescribed in an office-based setting (office-based opioid treatment, or OBOT) by any clinician with a standard DEA registration and filled at a pharmacy, or provided through a clinic. A monthly extended-release injection (Sublocade) is also available.
Naltrexone, including the monthly Vivitrol injection, blocks opioid effects entirely. It is not a controlled substance and any licensed prescriber can order it, but a person has to be off opioids for a set time first to avoid withdrawal.
If you are weighing the choice, see how methadone and Suboxone compare. You and a clinician decide together which one fits.
Starting Treatment and Timing That First Dose
The first visit is an intake and assessment: a clinician reviews your history, confirms the diagnosis, and helps you choose a medication. Bring a photo ID, any insurance information, and, if you can, a list of the substances and medications you are currently taking.
Timing the first dose matters, especially with fentanyl in the local drug supply. Starting buprenorphine too soon after using can trigger sudden, severe withdrawal, called precipitated withdrawal, so a clinician plans when to begin.
Because fentanyl lingers in the body, that planning is more involved than it used to be, and starting treatment when fentanyl is involved is worth discussing openly with the provider. Some programs offer same-day or next-day starts, and some can begin buprenorphine by telehealth. Ask each provider what a first appointment looks like.
Take-Home Doses and Telehealth for Northeast Arkansas
For patients driving in from rural Northeast Arkansas, the rules on take-home doses and telehealth are what make treatment workable. Federal rules updated in 2024 (SAMHSA’s revision of 42 CFR Part 8) expanded take-home methadone, up to a 28-day supply for patients who are stable in treatment, which the program decides based on your progress.
The same update let treatment start by telehealth and authorized mobile medication units that extend a clinic’s reach into outlying areas. As of July 2026, buprenorphine 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 are still being finalized, so confirm current options with a provider. Methadone for opioid use disorder is still dispensed through an opioid treatment program.
If you are transferring in or need a guest dose while traveling, ask about long-term methadone treatment and how the program handles it.
Paying for Treatment in Arkansas
Cost is often the first worry, so start there. Arkansas Medicaid covers medications for opioid use disorder, and under state law (Act 964 of 2019) neither Medicaid nor private insurers can require prior authorization for FDA-approved opioid use disorder medications listed on the preferred drug list, which removes a common delay at the start of treatment.
Medicare and most commercial plans cover MOUD as well. If you are uninsured or cannot pay, the UAMS Psychiatric Research Institute’s Center for Addiction Services and Treatment uses State Opioid Response funding to help cover medication and services at participating Arkansas providers, and many programs offer sliding-scale fees. Ask each provider what they accept and whether financial help is available.
The Overdose Picture Across Arkansas
County-level overdose figures are not consistently published for Craighead County, so the clearest picture comes from statewide data. Overdose deaths in Arkansas have been falling: the Arkansas Department of Health recorded 516 in 2023 and 389 in 2024, with provisional 2025 data showing 372.
The mix is shifting too. The Arkansas State Crime Laboratory reports that methamphetamine is now involved in more overdose deaths than fentanyl, with fentanyl’s share of drug-related deaths declining through 2026, though counterfeit pills made to look like real medication keep opioids dangerous.
These numbers reflect real people and real loss, and they also show that wider access to treatment and naloxone is making a difference. If you want to understand how opioid use disorder affects the body, that background can help you weigh your options.
Pregnancy, Court Referrals, and Family Support
A few situations call for extra planning. During pregnancy, methadone and buprenorphine are the recommended standard of care, because untreated opioid use disorder carries greater risks for both parent and baby. A newborn may need short-term treatment for neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS), which care teams manage routinely.
Arkansas Children’s in Little Rock runs the National Center for Opioid Research and Clinical Effectiveness, which focuses in part on treating opioid exposure in newborns. Seeking treatment is the protective choice, and providers work within a Plan of Safe Care rather than against you; here is more on methadone and pregnancy.
If treatment is part of a drug court, probation, or a child welfare plan, ask a provider whether they document attendance and accept your referral. Families supporting someone can find guidance on how to help a loved one start treatment.
Naloxone and Staying Safe from a Shifting Drug Supply
Anyone in a household touched by opioids should keep naloxone on hand. Naloxone (Narcan) reverses an opioid overdose and is available over the counter, through a statewide pharmacy standing order (Act 284 of 2017), and by mail from harm-reduction groups. Arkansas also requires naloxone to be co-prescribed with higher-dose opioid prescriptions (Act 651 of 2021), and the Arkansas Naloxone Project distributes free kits through first responders and community partners.
There is also a local reason to carry Narcan now. In 2026, the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory warned about cychlorphine, an emerging synthetic opioid it estimates is far more potent than fentanyl, sometimes pressed into counterfeit pills that look like real oxycodone.
Officials note it can take more than one dose of naloxone to reverse an overdose, so if someone does not respond to the first dose, give another if one is available and call 911.
A return to use can happen in recovery, and it is a reason to re-engage with care, not a failure. Learn how to recognize and respond to an opioid overdose so you are ready.
Common Questions
Do I have to visit a clinic every day for methadone?
At first, usually yes, because methadone for opioid use disorder is dispensed at an opioid treatment program. As you stabilize, federal rules allow take-home doses, up to a 28-day supply for patients who are stable, so daily visits ease over time. The program decides based on your progress.
Can I get buprenorphine or Suboxone without going to a clinic?
Often, yes. Since 2023, any clinician with a standard DEA registration can prescribe buprenorphine in an office and you fill it at a pharmacy, subject to state law. That office-based option is separate from an opioid treatment program and often means fewer visits.
What will treatment cost in Arkansas?
It depends on your coverage. Arkansas Medicaid, Medicare, and most private plans cover medications for opioid use disorder, and Act 964 bars prior authorization for these medications on the preferred drug list. Uninsured patients may qualify for State Opioid Response funding or sliding-scale fees. Ask each provider directly.
Isn’t long-term medication just another form of addiction?
No. Medications for opioid use disorder are prescribed and monitored, and they stabilize brain chemistry so a person can function without the cycle of cravings and withdrawal. Physical dependence is not the same as addiction, and long-term treatment is legitimate, effective care. You can read more about whether you can become addicted to methadone.
Can I start treatment by telehealth near Jonesboro?
Often yes for buprenorphine. As of 2026 it can be started by telehealth, including by phone in many cases, without a first in-person visit, which helps if you live outside the city. Methadone is started at an opioid treatment program, though some programs use a telehealth visit. Confirm with the provider.
Page Details
Last reviewed July 2026.
Sources
- Arkansas Department of Health, Substance Misuse Education and Prevention, overdose death counts (2023-2025 provisional). healthy.arkansas.gov
- Arkansas Center for Health Improvement, CDC overdose data for Arkansas, 2024. achi.net
- Arkansas Center for Health Improvement, federal report on MOUD access gaps in Arkansas, 2025. achi.net
- Arkansas State Crime Laboratory, warning on the synthetic opioid cychlorphine, 2026. kark.com
- Arkansas Code, Act 964 of 2019 (prior authorization for OUD medications). law.justia.com
- UAMS Psychiatric Research Institute, Center for Addiction Services and Treatment. psychiatry.uams.edu
- SAMHSA, 42 CFR Part 8 revisions (2024); DEA and HHS, telemedicine flexibilities extended through 2026. hhs.gov
Disclosures
Methadone Centers is a treatment-discovery and education resource, not a medical provider. The information on this page is for general education and is not medical advice; talk with a licensed clinician about your situation and any treatment decisions.
The helpline may be answered by a sponsored treatment provider. There is no obligation to enter treatment, and using this site does not guarantee placement with any particular provider.