The Food and Drug Administration has approved the first ever buprenorphine injection for the treatment of moderate-to-severe opioid use disorder (OUD) in adult patients. The new injection is the medication-assisted treatment (MAT) option, Sublocade, which provides a new treatment option for patients in recovery from opioid addiction who may value the benefits of a once-monthly injection, compared to other forms of buprenorphine treatment. MAT is a comprehensive approach that combines approved medications (currently, methadone, buprenorphine or naltrexone) with counseling and other behavioral therapies to help provide effective treatment and long-term recovery in patients with OUD. “Given the scale of the opioid crisis, with millions of Americans already affected, the FDA is committed to expanding access to treatments that can help people pursue lives of sobriety. Everyone who seeks treatment for opioid use disorder deserves the opportunity to be offered the treatment best suited to the needs of each individual patient, in...

Ordered off addiction medication by a criminal justice or child welfare agency?Denied a job because you take addiction medication? The Legal Action Center’s MAT Advocacy Toolkit can help you fight for your right to medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid addiction. MAT involves the use of medications, such as methadone, buprenorphine/naloxone (Suboxone) and injectable naltrexone (Vivitrol), in combination with counseling. Dozens of studies have shown that MAT reduces illicit drug use, crime, and communicable disease. Yet courts, probation, parole, and child welfare officials often force people to stop MAT against their doctor’s recommendation. For more information, please click here. The Legal Action Center is the only non-profit law and policy organization in the United States whose sole mission is to fight discrimination against people with histories of addiction, HIV/AIDS, or criminal records, and to advocate for sound public policies in these areas.