COMING SOON IN 2025! 

Easy and Quick Same-Day Telehealth Appointments for Buprenorphine

The OPEN Warmline, offers same-day telehealth prescribing for buprenorphine for people in the State of Michigan who use opioids. Telehealth visits can be done by a video visit or phone.

OPEN Warmline services accepts all patients, but our initial efforts will focus on engagement of individuals returning to the community from incarceration.  

No insurance required

What to Expect During an OPEN Warmline Telehealth Visit

A person calling the OPEN Warmline will be connected to a Warmline Navigator. After a quick registration, callers will talk with a medical provider via telehealth that same day to determine the best plan for the caller’s needs. If a prescription is needed, the provider can prescribe buprenorphine. After the visit, the Warmline team will check-in with the caller to ensure they received the medication from the pharmacy, and it is working as intended. Warmline Navigators will also assist the caller in finding a local long-term treatment provider and if desired, connected to a peer recovery coach.

*If at any point, the OPEN Warmline cannot meet a patient’s care needs, Warmline staff will link the patient to a provider that can provide the needed medical or substance use service.  

OPEN Warmline Care Model 

• We prioritize rapid, same-day access to medication without judgment or additional requirements such as behavioral healthcare 
• We embrace a harm reduction approach. We do not require abstinence and align with a patient’s goals around their substance use. 
• We want to know if medication isn’t working, how cravings and use are going. We will not assume patients are “drug seeking” if they express that their dose isn’t effective 
• We do not view return to substance use as a failure or a reason to stop treatment, but as a chance to reassess patient’s goals and ensure we are supporting them as best we can 
• Patients are ALWAYS welcome back 

Program Eligibility

• A person must be physically located in the State of Michigan at the time of receiving Warmline services  
• Insurance is not required, and financial assistance will be provided to patients without insurance to cover the cost of medication
• Interested in buprenorphine medication for opioid addiction/opioid use disorder
• Access to a phone
• Access to the internet to complete a consent form

Buprenorphine

Buprenorphine, also referred to as “bupe” or its brand name Suboxone, is an FDA approved medication that has been proven to reduce withdrawal symptoms and cravings in people who use opioids. Buprenorphine has also been proven to reduce the risk of overdose deaths. 

Buprenorphine is safe to use for short-term treatment or long-treatment and is used by some people for years or the rest of their lives.

Buprenorphine is available as an oral medication that is taken daily, or available as a long-acting injectable medication. The Warmline is only able to prescribe oral medication but can connect patients to in-person treatment if they are interested in treatment with long-acting injectable buprenorphine. 

Opioids

Examples of opioids include heroin, fentanyl, and prescription pills like oxycodone (Percocet, OxyContin), hydrocodone (Vicodin), codeine, and morphine.

Other Resources 

• Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Call 988 
• Find other substance use treatment providers in Michigan MiSUD Locator
• Get harm reduction supplies (such as naloxone and fentanyl and Xylazine test strips) Find a Syringe Service Program Near Me
• Please call 911 or visits your nearest emergency department if you are experiencing a medical emergency