Before Your First Visit
After completing your intake form and payment, please be prepared for your visit. Bring a valid photo ID (driver’s license or state ID) with you to your appointment. You must also arrive with a full bladder, as this is required for intake urine drug screening.
To help your visit go smoothly, we recommend bringing an updated list of your current medications, arriving on time, and completing any required pre-visit forms in advance. Please notify our office ahead of time if there have been any changes to your pharmacy, medications, or contact information.
Being prepared helps avoid delays and ensures your treatment stays on schedule.
Preparing for Buprenorphine (Suboxone) Induction
To safely start buprenorphine (Suboxone), it is very important that you arrive in mild to moderate opioid withdrawal. Starting too soon after using opioids can cause sudden and severe withdrawal (called precipitated withdrawal).
General Guidelines (Time Since Last Use)
- Short-acting opioids (pain pills, oxycodone, hydrocodone, heroin): Wait at least 8–12 hours and begin to feel withdrawal before your appointment.
- Fentanyl: May require 24 hours or longer. You should be in clear withdrawal before starting medication.
- Kratom: Wait at least 12–24 hours and begin to feel withdrawal before your visit.
What You Should Feel Before Starting
You should be feeling withdrawal before your visit. This may include body aches, yawning, sweating, runny nose, nausea, anxiety, or restlessness.
If you are NOT feeling withdrawal, it is too early to start medication.
Current Buprenorphine Use or Transfer Patients
- If you are prescribed buprenorphine, continue as directed and bring your prescription information.
- If you are taking non-prescribed buprenorphine, please inform us. Do not take additional doses right before your appointment unless directed.
Important Safety Reminders
- Do NOT take opioids right before your appointment
- Avoid alcohol, benzodiazepines, or sedating medications unless discussed
- Plan for your visit to take some time
Our goal is to start your medication safely and comfortably.
Our Program & Scheduling
We utilize a structured hybrid schedule (in-office and telemedicine visits) to provide consistent and reliable care.
All patients are first seen in-office for their initial evaluation (intake). After this visit, you will be scheduled for a 1-week follow-up appointment. From there, you will be placed on our standard 28-day (4-week) rotation.
Appointments are pre-scheduled every 28 days, allowing your visits to remain on the same day of the week and at the same time. This helps maintain consistency and makes it easier to stay on track with treatment. For convenience, appointments are typically scheduled out for the remainder of the calendar year.
Our practice focuses specifically on Medication for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD), providing structured, evidence-based care.
Please note that our clinic operates on limited days, as our providers also maintain other professional responsibilities. Keeping your scheduled appointments is essential to avoid delays in care.
Laboratory Requirements
A CMP (Comprehensive Metabolic Panel) is required prior to your first one-month follow-up appointment to evaluate baseline liver function.
If you have had this lab completed within the past year, please notify our office staff so we can review your results.
Program Rules & Expectations
This is a structured medical treatment program designed to provide safe, consistent, and effective care. Participation requires adherence to the following expectations:
Appointments & Attendance
- Appointments are scheduled every 28 days and must be kept as scheduled
- Missed or rescheduled appointments may delay prescriptions
- Repeated missed appointments may result in discharge from the program
Medication Compliance
- Take your medication exactly as prescribed
- Do not share, sell, or misuse your medication
- Lost or stolen prescriptions are not routinely replaced
Prescription Policy
- Prescriptions are timed to your scheduled appointments, not the pickup date
- Late pickup or rescheduled visits may result in a reduced (prorated) quantity
- This ensures your medication supply lasts until your next scheduled visit
Pharmacy Requirements
- Use the same pharmacy whenever possible
- If changing pharmacies, a paper prescription may be required due to medication availability
Urine Drug Screening
- Urine drug screening is required at intake and periodically during treatment
- You must arrive prepared to provide a sample when requested
- Inability to provide a sample may delay your visit or prescription
Substance Use & Safety
- Avoid use of opioids, benzodiazepines, alcohol, or other sedating substances unless discussed with your provider
- Unsafe medication use or concerning drug interactions may require changes to your treatment plan
Communication
- Notify the clinic promptly of any pharmacy issues, medication concerns, or scheduling conflicts
- Our phone is text-enabled and is often the fastest way to reach us
Program Participation
- Consistent attendance, communication, and medication adherence are required to remain in the program
- Treatment decisions are made based on safety, compliance, and clinical judgment
Our goal is to provide structured, safe, and effective treatment while supporting your long-term recovery.
1 mile North of Piggly Wiggly in Escatawpa, Mississippi
2.1 miles off Exit 68 from I-10
Located in Truly Grace Complex