If you are struggling with addiction to opioids, traditional detox and recovery may not be enough. Opioid addiction is now being successfully treated with medication-assisted treatment in outpatient rehab programs so that you can have medication to help you with your detox and your ongoing cravings.
What is Medication-Assisted Treatment in Outpatient Rehab?
Medication-assisted treatment in outpatient rehab refers to the use of FDA-approved medications for severe addictions to substances such as alcohol or opioids. The medications prescribed can only be administered at licensed facilities with the contingency that you have to participate in an ongoing recovery program like an outpatient rehab program.
Outpatient rehab programs provide greater flexibility in terms of scheduling, allowing you to choose from several levels of care that best fit your schedule, including:
- Partial hospitalization programs (PHP) that only last a couple of weeks but are full-time during those few weeks
- Intensive outpatient programs (IOP), which are several weeks but only part-time during those three or four weeks
- Traditional outpatient programs have limited requirements every week but can last for several months or years
PHP and IOP can serve as viable alternatives to inpatient programs, and they all work together as a step-down approach so you can get the level of care and commitment you need.
Medication-Assisted Treatment: What to Expect
When you sign up for medication-assisted treatment in outpatient rehab, you can expect to come to Peninsula Health for your FDA-approved medication and therapy.
Medication
The first part of medication-assisted treatment is, as the name suggests, the medication. Licensed facilities can prescribe medication to:
- Take during detox to ease your symptoms and/or
- Take during recovery to help with cravings
The types of FDA-approved medication prescribed will differ depending on their purpose and on the substance from which you are recovering.
At Peninsula Health’s Palos Verdes drug rehab, clients are given access to a unique form of medication-assisted treatment in outpatient rehab programs called Brixaldi addiction treatment.
Brixaldi is a form of buprenorphine designed to function as an extended-release injection to treat moderate to severe opioid addiction.
There are two forms available: either a weekly injection for those who have started with a transmucosal dose or a monthly version for those who have already been treated with buprenorphine. Our staff will work with you to decide on the proper dose, frequency, and formula based on your recovery.
Therapy
Brixaldi can only be administered through official substance abuse treatment programs and administered in healthcare settings. So when you come to our facility for your injections, you’ll also come for the rest of your treatment plan.
The second part of using any FDA-approved medication is that you have to participate in therapy to help you with the ongoing management of recovery.
In addition to traditional talk therapy, Peninsula Health specializes in holistic outpatient treatment.
Peninsula Health Can Help
Overall, medication-assisted treatment and outpatient rehab are a form of medication and therapy used together to improve your chances of long-term sobriety and recovery from opioid addiction. Medications like Brixaldi are administered at facilities like Peninsula Health to help manage the initial detox and subsequent cravings from opioid addiction.To learn more about our medication-assisted treatment program in Palos Verdes and the flexible outpatient programs we have, reach out to our team today.
