Fentanyl Treatment in Akron, OH

If you have watched someone you love get quieter, thinner, and further away, you already know how fast fentanyl moves through a life. In Summit County it is the drug behind most of the deaths - fentanyl was found in 77% of the county's 2024 overdose deaths. Akron is also where the treatment is: within a half-hour drive there are ten certified opioid treatment programs and more than fifty prescribers of buprenorphine. This page is about how to reach them.

What fentanyl is doing in Summit County

Summit County Public Health's 2024 data brief counted an estimated 739 drug-overdose emergency room visits by county residents - about two a day - with 55% of those patients from Akron. Fentanyl was involved in 77% of the county's overdose deaths that year, and 86% of victims had more than one substance in their system. The county recorded 155 overdose deaths in 2024 and 110 in 2025, down from the multi-year average near 197.

Statewide, the Ohio Department of Health counted 2,931 unintentional overdose deaths in 2024, with fentanyl or fentanyl analogs involved in 69% of them - and fentanyl-related deaths fell 42% from 2023, the largest drop of any drug category.

Fentanyl does not arrive labeled. The Ohio Substance Abuse Monitoring Network reports fentanyl remains highly available in the Akron-Canton region, often mixed with xylazine, and increasingly showing up in what is sold as methamphetamine, cocaine, or pills. That is why a person who thinks they are using a stimulant can still overdose on an opioid.

Medication is what changes the odds

Fentanyl is an opioid, which means there is real medication for it. The National Institute on Drug Abuse describes three FDA-approved options, each used alongside counseling:

• Methadone - a full opioid agonist that relieves withdrawal and cravings, dispensed through a certified opioid treatment program.
• Buprenorphine - a partial agonist that eases withdrawal and cravings and can be prescribed from a doctor's office.
• Naltrexone - blocks opioid receptors so opioids stop producing a high; it can only be started after opioids have cleared the body.

People treated with methadone or buprenorphine are less likely to die or to overdose than people who go without treatment.

Within 30 miles of downtown Akron (ZIP 44308), the SAMHSA locator currently lists:

• 10 federally certified opioid treatment programs
• 52 facilities that prescribe buprenorphine
• 51 offering outpatient methadone, buprenorphine, or naltrexone
• 14 offering detoxification, and 85 substance use facilities overall

The County of Summit ADM Board (1867 W. Market Street, Suite B2, Akron, OH 44313; 330-762-3500) funds the county's public treatment network, and CHC Addiction Services is one of the main front doors. Counts change as programs open and close, so confirm current options before you go.

Naloxone and test strips

Naloxone reverses an opioid overdose, including fentanyl, and it cannot hurt someone who is not overdosing. Summit County Public Health runs Project D.A.W.N., distributing naloxone kits and fentanyl test strips across the county - more than 9,245 kits in 2024. Ohio also distributes free naloxone through Naloxone.Ohio.gov, and pharmacies sell it over the counter.

If someone is unresponsive, breathing slowly or not at all, or has pinpoint pupils, call 911 and give naloxone if you have it. Ohio's Good Samaritan law protects people who call for help in an overdose.

Paying for fentanyl treatment in Akron

Ohio expanded Medicaid in 2014, and Ohio Medicaid covers medically necessary medications for opioid use disorder through participating providers. Ask specifically about opioid treatment program methadone, office-based buprenorphine, and prior authorization. In Akron the median household income is about $48,076 and roughly 23% of residents live below the poverty line, so if you are uninsured, ask the ADM Board about sliding-fee and publicly funded pathways.

How to start today

1. If someone is overdosing, call 911 and give naloxone. For a crisis, call or text 988.
2. Call or text (800) 653-9376 to speak 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.

3. Search findtreatment.gov from ZIP 44308 and filter for opioid treatment programs or buprenorphine.
4. Ask any program whether same-week medication starts are available, and whether they help with naloxone.

Fentanyl use disorder is treatable, and the medication that treats it is already in Akron. The first call is usually the hardest part - and it is the one that changes the math.

Frequently asked questions