Primary Care Provider (PCP) Treatment

PCP treatment simply means receiving a prescription for buprenorphine (Suboxone) from your regular doctor rather than from an inpatient clinic specializing in medication assisted treatment (MAT).

PROS: Not everyone lives in close proximity to an outpatient MAT clinic, so an OUD patient seeking a buprenorphine prescription may find it more convenient to get the prescription from a primary care provider.

CONS: Most primary care physicians don’t have the waiver required by the government to prescribe buprenorphine, and most are not specialists in addiction medicine. Even PCPs who do have the credentials to prescribe buprenorphine typically have a small case load of MAT patients and therefore limited experience with ongoing addiction treatment. Furthermore, patients often report feeling judged by their PCPs. Though addiction should be treated like any other medical condition, such as diabetes or depression, some physicians make moral judgments and don’t disguise their feelings, alienating rather than encouraging patients. Patients who receive their buprenorphine prescriptions from a specialized outpatient clinic typically feel more supported.