Opioid Treatment and MAT in Allentown, PA

Opioid use disorder is treatable, and the treatment that works best — medication — is available in and around Allentown. Methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone all reduce withdrawal and craving and lower the risk of dying from an overdose. The barrier is usually finding an opening and confirming what your plan covers, not whether the treatment exists. This page maps the local options and the fastest ways to reach them.

How opioids are affecting Lehigh County

CDC's provisional county-level data count 56 drug overdose deaths in Lehigh County in the 12 months ending December 2025, down from 98 the year before. Statewide, CDC counts 2,866 drug overdose deaths in Pennsylvania over the same period, down from 3,360. That continues a decline: local reporting credits expanded naloxone and treatment access with a Lehigh County drop of more than 30% in 2024, the first significant decrease since 2019.

The supply, though, has not gotten safer. Xylazine — a veterinary sedative known on the street as "tranq" — has been mixed into the fentanyl supply across the state:

  • In Pennsylvania, xylazine contributed to the cause of death in 790 of 3,271 overdose deaths in 2024 (24.2%), according to the state Department of Health.
  • In Lehigh County, the coroner reported xylazine in 20 of 112 overdose deaths in 2024 (about 18%), and in 45 of 157 drug-related deaths in 2023.
  • Pennsylvania classified xylazine as a Schedule III controlled substance in May 2024.

Xylazine deepens sedation and can cause severe wounds, and naloxone does not reverse it — but naloxone still reverses the opioid that is usually also present, which is why you should give it and call 911 anyway.

Medication for opioid use disorder near Allentown

Medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD), also called medication-assisted treatment, 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 federally certified opioid treatment programs.
  • Buprenorphine is a partial agonist that reduces cravings and withdrawal, and can be prescribed in a doctor's office or by telehealth in many cases.
  • 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 Allentown, the SAMHSA locator lists:

  • 6 federally certified opioid treatment programs
  • 24 facilities that prescribe buprenorphine
  • 27 facilities that prescribe naltrexone
  • 5 facilities that dispense methadone

County-funded treatment and assessment run through Lehigh County Drug & Alcohol Services at 610-782-3555 and the Lehigh Valley Drug & Alcohol Intake Unit at 610-432-2228, with recovery supports such as the Change on Hamilton Recovery Center. Confirm current openings on FindTreatment.gov or by phone.

Naloxone: get it before you need it

Naloxone (Narcan) reverses an opioid overdose. Pharmacies in Pennsylvania can dispense it without a prescription, and Lehigh County Drug and Alcohol Services and its partners distribute nearly 4,000 kits in the county each year. If you use opioids or live with someone who does, keeping naloxone on hand — and telling the people around you where it is — is one of the most concrete safety steps available.

Paying for opioid treatment in Allentown

Pennsylvania expanded Medicaid, and Medical Assistance covers medication for opioid use disorder as medically necessary treatment. Physical HealthChoices plans in the Lehigh/Capital region include AmeriHealth Caritas Pennsylvania, Geisinger Health Plan, Jefferson Health Plans EverWell, Highmark Wholecare, and UPMC for You. For most Medicaid members, behavioral health and drug and alcohol benefits are managed by Magellan Behavioral Health of Pennsylvania (Lehigh County member services: 1-866-238-2311). The statewide PA Get Help Now line, 1-800-662-4357, can help you navigate county-funded options.

How to start today

  1. If this is a medical emergency, call 911 and give naloxone if you have it. For a crisis, call or text 988, or reach Lehigh County Crisis Intervention at 610-782-3127.
  2. Call or text (800) 653-9376 to talk through medication 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.

  1. Search findtreatment.gov with an Allentown ZIP code and filter for opioid treatment programs or buprenorphine.
  2. Ask each program two questions: "Do you prescribe or dispense medication?" and "What do you need from my insurance?" Those two answers decide your next step.

Medication for opioid use disorder is one of the most effective tools in medicine. The gap is access, not evidence — and in Allentown, the access exists.

Call or text (800) 653-9376 Get help online