Opioid, Fentanyl and Heroin Rehab Centers in Arkansas

How do I start methadone or buprenorphine treatment in Arkansas?

You start methadone by enrolling at a certified opioid treatment program. Buprenorphine can be started there or with any clinician allowed to prescribe controlled medications.

Federal rules in 42 CFR Part 8 limit methadone for opioid use disorder to certified opioid treatment programs. The first step is an intake visit with a medical exam and assessment, often with a first dose the same day. Arkansas programs are gathered under methadone clinics in Arkansas.

Buprenorphine prescribing opened up in 2023, when the federal X-waiver ended. A clinician with a DEA registration covering Schedule III drugs can now prescribe it. Office-based prescribers appear under Suboxone clinics in Arkansas. Extended-release naltrexone is a monthly injection given only after withdrawal is complete, usually 7 to 10 days after the last opioid. An earlier dose can bring on sudden withdrawal.

Starting buprenorphine by video depends on federal telemedicine prescribing rules, which have changed several times since 2020. We found no Arkansas-specific rule on remote buprenorphine starts, so ask the prescriber what applies now. Arkansas Medicaid covers telemedicine counseling and substance use assessments, but detox must be face to face.

What kinds of opioid treatment programs are available in Arkansas?

Arkansas listings cover the full range of opioid care. Options include opioid treatment programs, withdrawal management, residential care, partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient, outpatient and telehealth services.

Nearly all listed opioid programs in Arkansas lie within 25 miles of a river, 96 percent. The Little Maumelle River is the most common, followed by the West Fork White River. One in five sits within 25 miles of a national forest, usually the Ouachita. The median distance to the nearest airport is 21.0 miles, and Bill & Hillary Clinton National Airport/Adams Field is the one nearest most often.

Does Arkansas Medicaid pay for opioid treatment medications?

Arkansas Medicaid, administered by the Arkansas Department of Human Services, is the main public payer for opioid treatment. Participating programs bill it for medication visits and counseling, so ask your plan how it handles methadone, buprenorphine and naltrexone.

Arkansas expanded Medicaid through the private option in 2014, so many adults on low incomes qualify. People with complex behavioral health needs may be placed in a PASSE plan. An undated state fact sheet lists these plans as Arkansas Total Care, CareSource PASSE, Empower Healthcare Solutions and Summit Community Care. Programs taking Medicaid are on the Medicaid page.

Medicare Part B has covered opioid treatment program services, including methadone, since 2020; see Medicare rehab in Arkansas. For people without coverage, Arkansas DHS distributes federal block grant and State Opioid Response funds through its Office of Substance Abuse and Mental Health. State-funded rehab in Arkansas lists programs reporting public funding.

Where can I get naloxone in Arkansas?

Arkansas pharmacists can dispense naloxone without a prescription of your own under a statewide standing order set by Act 284 of 2017. The nasal spray is also sold over the counter.

The Arkansas Department of Health distributes NARCAN Nasal Spray to communities, families and individuals. The DHS Office of Substance Abuse and Mental Health also takes requests through its Naloxone Request page under Prevention AR. In an overdose, call 911. Arkansas’s Good Samaritan law, the Joshua Ashley-Pauley Act (Act 1114 of 2015), offers protections to people who seek help.

Overdose risk rises after any stretch without opioids because tolerance falls quickly. That includes time after detox, a residential stay, jail or a hospital admission. Fentanyl turns up widely in pills and powders sold as something else. That is one reason to seek medically managed withdrawal or a supervised medication start rather than stopping alone. Fentanyl can also make buprenorphine starts harder, so prescribers may adjust first doses.

Do residential programs in Arkansas accept people taking methadone or buprenorphine?

Some Arkansas residential programs accept people taking methadone or buprenorphine and others do not, so ask the admissions team before you arrive.

Methadone patients usually need the residential program to coordinate daily dosing with their opioid treatment program. Stopping medication to get a bed raises overdose risk later, so ask whether yours can continue.

Pregnancy and opioid treatment

Pregnant people get preference for admission to treatment paid for by the federal substance use block grant under 45 CFR 96.131, and opioid treatment programs commonly prioritize them. Arkansas DHS’s Specialized Women Services program pays for assessment and treatment for pregnant women without insurance coverage for substance use care. See rehab for pregnant women in Arkansas.

Using the Arkansas opioid listings

Each Arkansas listing shows the medications a program reports, payment accepted, accreditation, languages and populations served. A 2024 DHS flyer lists the Mental Health & Addiction Support Line, 1-844-763-0198, for substance use needs; call to check it is still running. Browse every care type on the Arkansas treatment page, or read about opioid addiction treatment nationwide.