How the Telebupe Hotline Is Changing Opioid Treatment In WA

All Washington residents can now get same-day medical treatment for opioid use disorder.

Anyone in WA age 13 or older can call 206-289-0287 for same-day help.

The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) has teamed with the University of Washington (UW) to expand the Washington Telebuprenorphine (Telebupe) Hotline statewide. Medical treatment is available via phone or video, no matter where you live in the state.

The Telebupe hotline began in 2024, as a program between Public Health -Seattle & King County and the UW Department of Emergency Medicine. It allows people to talk the same day with emergency physicians who are trained to provide addiction care and prescribe buprenorphine, which is used to ease opioid withdrawl and cravings.

“Buprenorphine saves lives from overdose and is one of the most effective tools we have to treat opioid use disorder,” said Dr. Tao Sheng Kwan-Gett, State Health Officer, DOH. “Expanding the Telebupe Hotline is an important step towards giving people with opioid use disorder timely and compassionate care no matter where they live in our state.”

According to the DOH, More Than 1,400 People Have Already Used the Hotline.

Now, people in every county have access to the service, including people who have trouble receiving care due to long wait times, lack of nearby clinics, or transportation issues.

The Hotline is Designed to Provide Immediate, Short-Term Support.

“If someone needs care, we help connect them to providers in their community,” said Olivia Hood, Program Director for Washington’s Telebupe Hotline. “This expansion helps save lives across the state by making it easier for people to start or continue buprenorphine as well as get the care they need to begin their path to recovery.”

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The WA Telebupe Hotline is available from 9 am to 9 pm 365 days a year. Anyone in WA age 13 or older can call 206-289-0287 for same-day help. The service is FREE and does NOT bill insurance.