Workit Health Expands Access to Opioid Care Nationwide

Medication that can halt opioid cravings sits unused in pharmacy stockrooms while people die waiting for treatment appointments that may come weeks or months too late. Workit Health has dismantled that deadly bottleneck through its telehealth platform, now serving patients across multiple states with same-week access to buprenorphine prescriptions and behavioral support.

The company's reach extends into rural communities where addiction specialists remain scarce. Twenty percent of Workit's patient population lives in rural zip codes—areas where driving two hours to a methadone clinic represents the only traditional option, if any exists at all. Patients schedule video appointments with licensed physicians and nurse practitioners who prescribe Suboxone or naltrexone, then receive their medications by mail delivery or local pharmacy pickup.

Retention Rates That Defy Industry Norms

Sixty-six percent of new members remain enrolled three months after starting treatment, compared to 50% in comparable telemedicine programs. That gap widens dramatically over time. Six-month retention at Workit Health reaches 52%, while other services hemorrhage patients to 22%.

Urinary drug screens reveal why patients stay. Ninety-nine percent of participants tested positive for buprenorphine at all checkpoints, proving strong medication adherence and minimal diversion. Seventy-nine percent tested negative for unexpected substances, though the company's harm-reduction philosophy allows the remaining twenty-one percent to continue care without punitive dismissal. Clinics that terminate patients for imperfect abstinence send them back to street supplies laced with fentanyl. Workit's model recognizes that engagement beats abandonment.

Seventy-five percent of patients beginning opioid treatment through the platform had never accessed medication-assisted therapy before. Many avoided brick-and-mortar clinics due to stigma, inconvenient hours, or the lack of childcare during lengthy intake processes. The virtual model strips away those logistical barriers while preserving clinical rigor.

Mental Health Comorbidities Require Simultaneous Care

Seventy-eight percent of members entering opioid treatment carry depression diagnoses. Eighty-one percent screen positive for anxiety, while half show moderate to severe depressive symptoms at intake. Substance use disorder rarely travels alone. The conditions feed each other, creating cycles that single-focused programs fail to interrupt.

Workit Health's architecture addresses this complexity through integrated care teams. Members access individual therapy, group coaching sessions, and peer support alongside their medication management. Licensed therapists conduct cognitive-behavioral work through the same mobile application where patients message their prescribers. Evening and weekend availability accommodates work schedules that might otherwise force people to choose between paychecks and appointments.

Workit Health Research has published studies in JAMA Network Open, Telemedicine and e-Health, and Addiction Science & Clinical Practice documenting these outcomes. Dr. M. Justin Coffey and research director Marlene C. Lira lead investigations into pharmacy barriers, patient satisfaction metrics, and retention patterns among pregnant populations. Their February 2025 study on home delivery of buprenorphine showed that mailing medications directly to patients improved engagement rates.

Public-Private Partnerships Widen the Funnel

Ohio's Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services contracted with Workit Health to provide free treatment to uninsured residents. Texas's Be Well program followed with similar arrangements. The National Institute on Drug Abuse awarded Small Business Innovation Research grants to fund interoperability tools that enable Workit's electronic health records to communicate with hospital systems and primary care offices.

Robin McIntosh and Lisa McLaughlin built Workit Health after navigating America's fragmented addiction infrastructure themselves. Their lived experience shows through design choices that prioritize privacy and reduce friction. Patients avoid waiting rooms where neighbors might recognize them. Video consultations take place in bedrooms or parked cars. Prescriptions arrive in unmarked packaging.

Each percentage-point gain in retention translates to lives salvaged from the overdose crisis, claiming more than 140 Americans daily. Workit Health's nationwide expansion demonstrates that removing geographic and stigma-based obstacles creates space for evidence-based medicine to function as intended.