Suboxone contains buprenorphine, which is a controlled substance per federal laws. To prescribe this medication, doctors must have approval from regulatory agencies. This process is easier than it once was.
Before December 29, 2022, doctors needed a so-called “X-waiver” to prescribe medications with buprenorphine. With that requirement eliminated, doctors need a current Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) registration to prescribe Suboxone.[1]
To receive a Suboxone prescription, you must find an appropriately licensed doctor who can prescribe it. More than 50,000 providers are eligible to prescribe drugs like Suboxone.[3]
All doctors with a current Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) registration with Schedule III authority can prescribe medications for opioid use disorder (OUD) if permitted by state law.[4]
The “Schedule III authority” in this rule refers to drug classifications. Buprenorphine in Suboxone is considered a Schedule III controlled drug by the DEA, and doctors must apply for a license to administer these drugs. If doctors have this approval, they can prescribe Suboxone.
After June 27, 2023, doctors asking for new DEA licenses or renewing old ones must meet one of these requirements:[4]
Doctors can prescribe Suboxone via telemedicine. The DEA is examining the practice carefully and researched tightening rules in the spring of 2023. After public outcry, rule changes were suspended.[5]
Under current rules, you can’t get a Suboxone prescription online. But you can use your computer to meet with a doctor licensed to provide telehealth in your state and get a prescription for Suboxone. Your appointment runs just like an in-person version would, but it’s conducted from the privacy and security of your own home. You can fill your prescription at a pharmacy that carries Suboxone.
Suboxone and insurance coverage for telehealth is straightforward. Many companies offer telehealth appointment benefits, allowing you to meet with professionals via your computer or phone.
Doctors can prescribe Suboxone via telemedicine. The DEA is examining the practice carefully and researched tightening rules in the spring of 2023. After public outcry, rule changes were suspended.[5]
Under current rules, you can’t get a Suboxone prescription online. But you can use your computer to meet with a doctor licensed to provide telehealth in your state and get a prescription for Suboxone. Your appointment runs just like an in-person version would, but it’s conducted from the privacy and security of your own home. You can fill your prescription at a pharmacy that carries Suboxone.
Suboxone and insurance coverage for telehealth is straightforward. Many companies offer telehealth appointment benefits, allowing you to meet with professionals via your computer or phone.
The X-waiver was part of the Drug Addiction Treatment Act of 2000. Rules were designed to ensure that buprenorphine products were administered properly, even if patients took the drugs home to use them.
To get an X-waiver, doctors had to meet the following requirements:
Experts considered this a time-consuming process that discouraged doctors from prescribing the drug. As a result, just 5% of medical providers were licensed to prescribe buprenorphine products, and large portions of the country had no doctors with X-waivers at all.[6]
When France eliminated its X-waiver rules, opioid overdose deaths dropped by 79% over three years. Source[7]
The X-waiver was made to ensure that doctors administered medications like Suboxone safely. Instead, it may have caused harm.
Extra training suggests that doctors must treat their OUD patients in a different way than other patients. Each class adds to the stigma surrounding addiction, which could mean that doctors provide these people with a lesser class of care.
The waiver’s hassles and limits also meant that fewer doctors could treat patients in need. They might be able to diagnose a patient with OUD, but they wouldn’t be able to administer the medications that could help. In some parts of the country, no doctors were available to help people with medications like Suboxone.
Patients can get a prescription for Suboxone from a doctor with DEA Schedule III authority. This doctor can work in a clinic, hospital, online business or other medical facility. The DEA license is the important part.
Online Suboxone doctors can prescribe Suboxone. In-person doctors can too. These medical professionals aren’t required to apply for a federal X-waiver, as that program no longer exists.
If you have OUD, Suboxone will be a good medication choice to prevent cravings, withdrawal symptoms and overdose.
You meet Suboxone treatment eligibility if you are the following:
Some people aren’t right for Suboxone treatment. If you meet some conditions, your doctor might look for another treatment type for you.
People who are probably not ideal candidates for Suboxone are any of the following:
The best time to start Suboxone is when you are experiencing withdrawal symptoms, usually somewhere between 12 to 24 hours after using opioids. Chills, nausea, pain and headaches are all signs that your body is ready to start Suboxone.
In some programs, you’ll start your medication in a supervised setting. At others, you may be counseled on how to take your first dose in the comfort of your own home. This is usually a decision you and your doctor can make together.
Going forward, most patients have monthly visits to check in and refill Suboxone prescriptions.
Each person is unique, as is their treatment plan. Some people use Suboxone for just a few months, while others may use it indefinitely.
Opioid use disorder is a chronic condition, and research shows that patients who stay on Suboxone long term are more likely to be opioid-free long term as well.[9]
Conversely, studies demonstrate that within one month of stopping treatment, more than 50% of patients relapse to illicit opioid use.[10]
It is safe to stay on Suboxone for many years, particularly if a patient feels it is helping them to sustain abstinence. However, if you desire to taper off Suboxone, consult with your medical provider to slowly taper your dose, as this will help prevent withdrawal symptoms.
Have more questions about how long to take Suboxone? Get the answers you need.
If you have questions about opioids, opioid use disorder, treatments or other Suboxone-related questions, browse through our Suboxone FAQs. To learn whether telemedicine Suboxone treatment is a good fit for you, call us at 1-844-943-2514 or schedule an appointment here.
Peter Manza, PhD received his BA in Psychology and Biology from the University of Rochester and his PhD in Integrative Neuroscience at Stony Brook University. He is currently working as a research scientist in Washington, DC. His research focuses on the role of the brain dopamine system in substance use disorders and in aging. He also studies brain function in obesity and eating disorders.
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