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Sponsored| Name | Address | City |
|---|---|---|
| ARC Clinic Little Rock | 1 Lile Ct 103 | Little Rock |
| University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Substance Abuse Treatment Clinic | 224 Shuffield Drive Psychiatric Research Institute | Little Rock |
| BHG Medical Services – North Little Rock | 4260 Stockton Dr Suite A | North Little Rock |
| Central Arkansas Treatment Services, LLC | 5407 Highway 5 Suite 6 | Bryant |
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Finding Opioid Use Disorder Treatment in Little Rock
Little Rock sits at the center of one of Arkansas’s few areas with opioid treatment programs on the ground. A 2025 analysis from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General found that only four Arkansas counties had an opioid treatment program, and Pulaski County was one of them. That makes the Little Rock metro a place people travel to from surrounding rural counties for methadone care, alongside office-based providers who prescribe buprenorphine and naltrexone.
Medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) are the standard of care for opioid use disorder (OUD), and the listings on this page connect you to local programs. You can also see the wider picture of MOUD treatment across Arkansas. If you are ready to talk to someone now, call a provider below or the helpline on this page.
Your Medication Options and Where Each One Comes From
Three medications are approved to treat opioid use disorder, and where you get each one differs.
Methadone for OUD is provided only through a licensed opioid treatment program (OTP), not a regular pharmacy, which is why the daily-dosing clinic model exists.
Buprenorphine, including Suboxone and other buprenorphine-naloxone products, and the extended-release injectable Sublocade, can be prescribed in a doctor’s office and filled at a pharmacy, or provided through a clinic.
Naltrexone, including the monthly Vivitrol injection, can be prescribed by any licensed provider, but it can only be started after you have been off opioids for a set time.
Those two settings have names worth knowing. An opioid treatment program is the clinic-based model that dispenses methadone and can also offer buprenorphine and naltrexone. Office-based opioid treatment (OBOT) is care from a physician, nurse practitioner or physician assistant who prescribes buprenorphine or naltrexone you fill at a pharmacy.
If you are weighing the choice, it helps to read how methadone and Suboxone compare and to look at the way an OTP works day to day before you call. The choice of medication is one you make with a clinician, not one this page makes for you.
Starting Treatment: What the First Visit Looks Like
The first step is an intake assessment, where a clinician reviews your history and, if appropriate, begins medication the same day at many programs. Bring an ID and any insurance information if you have it, though lack of insurance does not have to stop you from being seen.
One timing detail matters if you have been using fentanyl, because starting buprenorphine too soon after your last use can trigger sudden, severe withdrawal (called precipitated withdrawal). For this reason, a clinician plans the timing of your first dose with you. Because fentanyl lingers in the body, this is worth raising directly at intake.
You can read more about methadone treatment when fentanyl is involved.
Take-home Doses, Telehealth and Travel From Outside the Metro
For people driving into Little Rock from rural counties, the rules that changed in 2024 matter.
Federal rules updated that year expanded take-home methadone (up to a 28-day supply for patients who are stable in treatment, decided by the program), allowed treatment to start by telehealth, and removed older barriers to getting admitted.
Methadone for OUD is still dispensed in person through an OTP, but take-home flexibility can cut how often you drive in once you are established. Staying with a steady dose is part of what makes treatment work, and consistent dosing over time is worth understanding early.
Furthermore, buprenorphine can now be started through telehealth, including by phone in many cases and without a prior in-person visit. Keep in mind that those rules run through 2026 and are still being finalized, so confirm what is current with a provider.
Paying for Care in Arkansas
There are several ways to help you pay for treatment.
Under Arkansas Act 964, the state Medicaid program is directed to cover buprenorphine, naltrexone, methadone and naloxone for opioid and alcohol use disorder without extra barriers when the drug is preferred on the state’s evidence-based preferred drug list. According to the American Society of Addiction Medicine’s state report, Arkansas Medicaid covers buprenorphine and buprenorphine-naloxone products as a pharmacy benefit through prior approval, with some coverage tied to documented counseling.
Because coverage details shift, it is important to ask a provider or the plan directly what applies to you.
Private insurance, Medicare and self-pay or sliding-scale options are also common. Additionally, the UAMS Psychiatric Research Institute, working with the Arkansas Department of Human Services, has funded MOUD care for people without insurance or the ability to pay.
The Overdose Picture Across Arkansas and Pulaski County
The trend statewide is moving in the right direction.
The Arkansas Department of Health reported 372 drug overdose deaths in 2025, down from 389 in 2024 and 516 in 2023. County-level counts specific to Pulaski are not published on the same basis, so that statewide figure is the reliable measure here. Of concern, the Pulaski County Coroner’s office warned in 2026 about emerging synthetic opioids stronger than fentanyl turning up in the drug supply, sometimes requiring more than one dose of naloxone to reverse an overdose.
The takeaway is not fear but readiness, as effective treatment exists in the metro, and carrying naloxone is a reasonable precaution. You can learn more about opioid use disorder and how it is treated.
Pregnancy, Parenting and Treatment
If you are pregnant and using opioids, medication treatment is the recommended standard of care, not a reason to avoid help. Both methadone and buprenorphine are used during pregnancy under clinical supervision, and stopping suddenly can be riskier than staying in treatment. Newborns may also need short-term monitoring for neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS), which care teams manage routinely.
Fear of child-welfare involvement keeps some pregnant patients from seeking care, but treatment is the step that protects both parent and baby, and Arkansas care teams work within a Plan of Safe Care framework designed to support families. You can read guidance on methadone and pregnancy.
Naloxone and Overdose Safety in Central Arkansas
Naloxone, the medication that reverses an opioid overdose, is available over the counter and through pharmacies and community programs. This is because in Arkansas, a statewide standing order lets pharmacists dispense it without an individual prescription. In addition, two Good Samaritan protections offer limited immunity to people who administer naloxone or call 911 during an overdose.
The Arkansas Opioid Recovery Partnership reports distributing more than 86,000 naloxone doses since late 2022, credited with over 2,000 documented overdose reversals, and the Central Arkansas Harm Reduction Project in Little Rock works directly with people affected by drug use.
Because a return to use is a common and manageable part of OUD, not a failure, naloxone on hand is simple insurance. Because of this risk, having it available can mean the difference between life and death.
See how to recognize and respond to an overdose.
Common Questions About Treatment in Little Rock
Do I have to go to a clinic every day for methadone?
At first, usually yes, while your dose is adjusted. Federal rules updated in 2024 let stable patients earn take-home doses, up to a 28-day supply, decided by the program based on your progress. That flexibility is one reason people traveling from outside Pulaski County can make treatment work.
Can I start buprenorphine without coming in first?
Often yes. Buprenorphine can be started by telehealth, including by phone in many situations, without a prior in-person visit under rules current through 2026. Those rules are still being finalized, so confirm what is available with a specific provider before you count on it.
What is the difference between methadone and Suboxone?
Both are effective, and the right fit depends on your history and needs. Methadone comes only through an opioid treatment program, whereas Suboxone (a buprenorphine-naloxone medicine) can come from an office-based prescriber and a pharmacy. The right choice is one to make with a clinician who knows your history.
Is methadone just trading one drug for another?
No. Methadone taken as prescribed stabilizes brain chemistry without the cycle of intoxication and withdrawal, which is why major health authorities consider it evidence-based care. It lets people work, parent and rebuild while in treatment.
What if I want to stop treatment later?
That is a decision to make with your care team over time, not abruptly. Long-term medication is legitimate, effective treatment for many people, and how long you stay is an individual decision guided by your progress and goals.
Last Reviewed and Disclosures
Last reviewed July 2026.
Sources:
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, opioid treatment access analysis, reported by the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement, 2025.
- Arkansas Department of Health, Vital Statistics, provisional drug overdose death data, 2023 to 2025.
- SAMHSA, 42 CFR Part 8 final rule and MOUD guidance, 2024.
- DEA and SAMHSA, buprenorphine telemedicine final rule and Fourth Temporary Extension of telemedicine flexibilities, 2025 to 2026.
- Arkansas Code sections 20-13-1804 and 17-92-101 (naloxone access) and Act 964 / section 23-99-1119 (Medicaid coverage).
- American Society of Addiction Medicine, Arkansas Medicaid coverage report.
- Arkansas Opioid Recovery Partnership, naloxone distribution figures, 2022 to 2025.
Methadone Centers is a treatment-discovery and education resource, not a medical provider. Information here is educational and is not medical advice; treatment decisions should be made with a licensed clinician.
Some calls made from this site may be answered by a sponsored treatment provider. See our disclosures for details on how the helpline works.