9 a.m. to 9 p.m., 7 days a week
It is a medication that helps to ease opioid withdrawal, reduces cravings, and lowers your overdose risk, so you can stay safer. And it provides the means to move toward recovery on your own terms. Through the WA Telebupe hotline, you can talk with a provider at no cost, find out if bupe is right for you, and get a prescription.
The WA Telebupe hotline helps people in Washington who use opioids figure out if bupe is right for them quickly by phone. This includes anyone 13 years old or older and those who are pregnant.
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You can call or text the hotline at (206) 289-0287 any day of the year from 9a-9p. After hours, you can leave a voicemail requesting a callback the next day, or you can be routed to the Washington Recovery Helpline.
If you text, you’ll receive an auto reply at first, and if it’s during hotline hours, a coordinator will text back and set up a time to talk.
For support in languages other than English, you will be connected to the UW Medicine interpreter service, which supports 250+ languages.
…will follow up with you to help with ongoing care that is local to you. This can include finding a primary care provider who will help you manage your bupe treatment and other needs for your health and wellbeing.
People don’t start or keep using substances for just one reason. It’s often a mix of things like stress, mental health, money struggles, or life circumstances outside of the person’s control.
The linkage-to-care team understands that, and their goal is to support the whole person, not just one piece of the puzzle. They can help someone get started on medications like bupe, and just as importantly, get connected to care over time.
The goal isn’t just to start treatment, it’s to make sure each person has the resources and support needed to keep moving forward.
The WA Telebupe hotline serves anyone in the state of Washington who is 13 years of age or older and has opioid use disorder (OUD), including people who are pregnant.
Speaking with a provider through the hotline is a free, non-billable service for everyone. However, you and your insurance company will need to pay for the cost of the prescription, which can vary with insurance coverage. If you don’t have insurance, hotline staff can provide coupons to help decrease the cost of your prescription as much as possible.
Yes, hotline providers can provide bridge prescriptions to last until your next appointment with your provider. However, they cannot provide prescriptions for longer than 2 weeks at a time.
Yes, you can expect supportive, respectful and confidential care when you contact the hotline. Hotline staff are here to help, no matter where you are in your recovery. The Hotline strictly follows all HIPAA protocols, meaning they follow the same rules that all providers, hospitals, and insurance companies do on how securely they handle your health information. Patients also agree to the privacy, rights and responsibilities of being a UW Medicine patient.
This can vary by call volume and provider schedules, but most patients can speak with a provider within an hour of calling the hotline. If the provider determines that a prescription is appropriate, the prescription is sent electronically to the pharmacy shortly after your visit. Pharmacy stock and processing times vary, but most patients can get their prescription the same day that they call the hotline. If you call outside of your pharmacy’s hours or shortly before their closing time, you will likely need to wait until the next day to pick up your prescription.
Family and loved ones are an instrumental part of recovery. Hotline coordinators and providers are happy to provide resources and information on treatment options if you call for a loved one. If they wish to start buprenorphine through the hotline, they will need to speak directly with staff by phone or a telehealth visit.
You can also give them the hotline number and have them call directly. Everyone’s recovery process is unique. If your loved one does not wish to speak with the hotline, we encourage them to call when they feel ready.
Hotline staff are here to help when you urgently need a prescription or want to get started on buprenorphine quickly. However, the goal is to connect you to an ongoing provider or clinic that can help you long-term. The hotline is not intended to provide long-term care or refills of buprenorphine. Dedicated linkage-to-care coordinators will follow up with you within 72 hours to check in on how you’re doing and discuss options for ongoing care.
We are only able to prescribe buprenorphine through the hotline 3 times within a 3-month period. If a hotline provider cannot prescribe it to you, they can provide other resources and assess what barriers you are facing in connecting with ongoing care.
The hotline cannot prescribe buprenorphine solely for Kratom or 7-OH use, but staff can provide referrals for clinics that do.
Federal regulations prohibit receiving treatment for substance use disorder (SUD) from multiple providers simultaneously. This means hotline providers cannot prescribe medications if you are in a treatment center, inpatient facility, dialysis unit, emergency department, or similar setting. However, you’re welcome to call the hotline once you are no longer under their care.
The hotline only prescribes sublingual buprenorphine in the form of tablets or films at this time. Hotline providers do not offer methadone, naltrexone, or injectable buprenorphine through the hotline, but are happy to provide personalized referrals to places that offer whichever form of medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) you are seeking.
