Opioid Treatment and Naloxone in Ashland, KY

Opioid use disorder is one of the most treatable conditions in medicine — not with talk alone, but with medication. Buprenorphine, methadone, and naltrexone are the standard of care, and Kentucky Medicaid covers them. In Boyd County the case for starting is unusually urgent: the county's fentanyl death rate ranks fourth-highest in Kentucky, and the coroner still lists overdose as his second-leading cause of death. Here is what treatment looks like in Ashland and how naloxone gets into your hands.

What medication-first treatment looks like

Three medications, one goal. Buprenorphine (often as Suboxone) can be prescribed by any qualified outpatient provider and quiet craving within days. Methadone is dispensed daily through an opioid treatment program. Naltrexone (as a monthly injection, Vivitrol) blocks opioids entirely but requires a full detox first. NIDA's guidance describes medication paired with counseling as the standard of care, and the federal requirement for a special buprenorphine waiver is gone — an ordinary medical appointment can start it. Nobody has to earn medication by finishing a program first.

Boyd County by the numbers

  • 22 fentanyl-involved overdose deaths in 2024 — the fourth-highest count among Kentucky counties, and the fourth-highest fentanyl rate in the state at 46.5 per 100,000 residents (KIPRC, from death certificates).
  • 34 total overdose deaths in 2024, an age-adjusted rate of 64.2 per 100,000 — double the statewide rate of 32.0 (Kentucky ODCP fatality report).
  • Boyd County Coroner Mark Hammond's office reported fatal overdoses falling from 67 (2022) to 49 (2023) to 44 (2024), with overdoses still the second-leading cause of death in the caseload from 2022 through mid-2025.
  • Emergency department visits for fentanyl-involved nonfatal overdose fell from 16 to 7, a 56.2% drop from 2023 to 2024 (KIPRC ED surveillance).

For a city of about 21,100 on the Ohio River — the county seat, across from Ironton, Ohio and upriver from Huntington, West Virginia — the trend is hopeful and the level is not. Every person who uses opioids in this county should be carrying naloxone.

Getting treatment in Ashland

  • Pathways, the regional community mental health center, operates behavioral health and substance use services in Ashland, including a Regional Withdrawal Unit at 201 22nd Street and a 28-day Crisis and Residential Recovery Unit; its 24-hour Help Line is 1-800-562-8909 or 606-324-1141. Mobile crisis teams can assess and refer across its ten-county region.
  • The SAMHSA treatment locator lists facilities by ZIP code — filter for opioid treatment programs, buprenorphine prescribing, and naltrexone to see what is open near Ashland, including options across the river in Ohio and West Virginia.
  • A primary care provider or urgent care clinic can often start buprenorphine directly; ask specifically for it.

Getting naloxone

  • Statewide pharmacy protocol (2025): under a physician protocol signed by the Kentucky Department for Public Health, certified pharmacists may dispense naloxone — Narcan 4 mg, Kloxxado, Opvee, or Zimhi — to people at risk of opioid overdose without a separate prescription. Ask any participating pharmacy.
  • Free Narcan in Boyd County: Boyd was one of the counties in the UK HEALing Communities Study where people under community supervision and their families could get naloxone at no cost, and Kentucky ODCP supplies free naloxone to law enforcement in all 120 counties and helps the public locate dispensers.
  • Keep it close. Naloxone works on opioids but not on other drugs; in a polysubstance county like Boyd, it is still the single most useful thing to have on hand, and repeating the dose every 2–5 minutes is part of the instructions.

Paying for care

Kentucky Medicaid covers behavioral health and substance use disorder services for eligible members, including outpatient and residential treatment and, in most plans, MOUD; enrollment runs through a managed care organization, so confirm coverage and prior authorization with your plan. Providers can also discuss self-pay and sliding-scale options.

How to start today

  1. If someone is unresponsive, blue-gray lips, or breathing slowly, call 911, give naloxone, and stay with them. Give another dose in 2–5 minutes if breathing does not improve.
  2. Call or text (800) 653-9376 to talk through MOUD and treatment options with a person, or use this form:

Calling is free; the referral service is paid for by treatment providers, and we check your benefits before you commit.

  1. For a crisis that is not a medical emergency, call or text 988, or Pathways' 24-hour Help Line at 1-800-562-8909.
  2. Pick up naloxone this week — even before the treatment appointment. The treatment can start as soon as the naloxone is in the room.

This page is general health information, not medical advice. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by any facility named above.

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