Opioid Treatment and MAT in Boston, MA
Boston Public Health Commission data show 169 opioid-related overdose deaths in Boston in 2024, about a 38% decline from 2023. Fentanyl remains central to urban fatalities even where totals are falling. The metro also has a measurable medication-assisted treatment network: buprenorphine prescribers and federally certified opioid treatment programs within 30 miles. This page explains each piece and how to access it.
How bad the opioid problem is here
Local public health leaders treated the 2024 drop as promising but unfinished work, especially for neighborhoods that still see high nonfatal overdose volume. Statewide provisional reporting summarized in 2025 coverage put Massachusetts near 1,340 confirmed opioid-related overdose deaths in 2024. Medication access and naloxone distribution remain part of the response.
Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) near Boston
Medication-assisted treatment - also called medications for opioid use disorder, or MOUD - uses one of three FDA-approved medications alongside counseling. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse:
- Methadone is a full opioid agonist that relieves withdrawal and cravings. It is dispensed through certified opioid treatment programs.
- Buprenorphine is a partial agonist that reduces cravings and withdrawal, and can be prescribed in a doctor's office.
- Naltrexone blocks opioid receptors so opioids no longer produce a high. It can be started only after opioids have cleared the body.
Within 30 miles of downtown Boston (ZIP 02108), the SAMHSA locator lists:
- 29 federally certified opioid treatment programs
- 98 facilities that prescribe buprenorphine
- 99 facilities that prescribe naltrexone
- 87 offering outpatient methadone, buprenorphine, or naltrexone treatment
Public-network anchors include the Massachusetts Behavioral Health Help Line at 833-773-2445 (call or text) and CBHC urgent-care doors. Confirm current openings on FindTreatment.gov rather than treating any directory as a bed list.
Paying for opioid treatment in Boston
MassHealth can cover medically necessary MOUD for eligible members. Ask which OTPs and office-based buprenorphine clinics are in network and whether injectable naltrexone needs separate authorization. If you are uninsured, BHHL can route you toward publicly funded and sliding-fee options without inventing a facility name for you.
How to start today
- If this is a medical emergency, call 911 and give naloxone if you have it. For a crisis, call or text 988.
- Call or text (800) 653-9376 to talk through your options with a treatment specialist, or use this form:
Calling is free; the referral service is paid for by treatment providers, and we check your benefits before you commit.
- Search findtreatment.gov with ZIP code 02108 and filter for opioid treatment programs or buprenorphine.
- Call or text BHHL at 833-773-2445, or call or text 988.
Medication for opioid use disorder works. The barrier is usually finding an opening and confirming payment - not whether treatment exists in Boston.