Sublocade Treatment in Oregon

Recovering from opioid addiction can be a major challenge, so patients need the right tools and support services to help them on the journey. At Renascent Rx, patients will find an experienced and passionate pharmacy team offering after-treatment care for opioid and alcohol addiction. As a telehealth provider, Renascent Rx works to support medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for residents throughout Oregon. Patients can receive a prescription for a Sublocade shot as part of a comprehensive treatment plan.

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What Is Opioid Use Disorder?

After an illness or injury, a patient may be prescribed opioid medication for pain relief. Chronic abuse of these medications can lead to opioid use disorder (OUD), a disease characterized by continued, compulsive use of opioids. A patient with OUD often can’t stop using these medications, even if they want to give them up. Symptoms of OUD include:

  • Increasingly frequent or risky usage of opioids
  • Physiological dependence on opioids
  • Regular cravings to use opioids
  • Withdrawal symptoms when not using opioids, such as muscle aches, sweating, or nausea
  • Changes in sleep or exercise habits
  • Weight loss
  • Isolation from family and friends

The cause of OUD is not known, and some individuals may be more susceptible to opioid dependence than others. Family history, environment, and lifestyle may be risk factors.

What Is Medication-Assisted Treatment?

Addressing the opioid epidemic in the United States requires a comprehensive approach. MAT refers to the use of medicines in combination with counseling, therapies, and other support services. Understanding that OUD can affect an individual’s relationships, career, and finances, MAT takes a holistic approach to recovery, treating medication as one tool in a toolbox. Renascent Rx is proud to play a role in the maintenance phase of treatment, prescribing medications like Sublocade that help individuals stay on the path to recovery.

What Is Sublocade?

Sublocade is an injectable form of buprenorphine, a type of narcotic. Buprenorphine is Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved for the treatment of OUD. Unlike other forms of buprenorphine which are administered as a pill or a dissolvable film strip, Sublocade is given as an injection treatment.

The prescription medicine in Sublocade attaches to the opioid receptors in a patient’s brain. Sublocade is used to treat adult patients with moderate or severe opioid dependence, who have received Buprenorphine medicine as a sublingual (under the tongue) tablet or buccal (inside the cheek) film.

Regular Sublocade injections can help patients overcome OUD by:

  • Slowly releasing buprenorphine over time
  • Blocking the opioid receptors in the brain
  • Offsets common symptoms of opioid withdrawal, like body aches, fever, and vomiting

Plus, because Sublocade only needs to be administered once a month, it may be easier for patients to adhere to a treatment plan.

Taking Sublocade for OUD

Sublocade is given as a subcutaneous injection treatment. A healthcare provider will inject the medicine under a patient’s skin, typically in the abdomen. The injection treatment is administered once a month. While the injection is a liquid, the drug changes to a solid form after injection. Patients may feel a small bump under their skin at the injection site, which they should not massage or rub.

Renascent Rx prescribes Sublocade to be administered at a local clinic by a licensed health care provider. Sublocade for the treatment of OUD is covered under most insurance plans. Patients who receive monthly Sublocade injections will also get a continuous delivery of Buprenorphine treatment all month. Their treatment plan may also include counseling.

Sublocade treatment may cause side effects. The most common side effects of a Sublocade injection include:

  • Headache
  • Nausea
  • Tiredness
  • Constipation
  • Pain or itching at the injection site

Serious side effects such as trouble breathing or liver problems may occur. A patient’s healthcare provider should perform blood tests to check the patient’s liver before starting treatment. More information about Sublocade treatment is available on our FAQ page.

Learn More About Telemedicine in OR

At Renascent Rx, we’re committed to helping patients with accessible telemedicine care and medications. Our pharmacy serves patients throughout OR with addiction recovery treatments, including Sublocade injections, Suboxone, and Naltrexone. We also offer smoking cessation and Hepatitis C treatment. Patients can self-schedule appointments online seven days a week. For more information or to book an appointment, contact us today.