The Olympia Bupe Clinic was founded in 2019 on the premise that buprenorphine should be easier to access than heroin. The clinic is part of the Capital Recovery Center in Olympia, Washington, and is co-located with a syringe service program. This innovative model primarily serves vulnerable populations (e.g. those experiencing homelessness) and aims to minimize barriers to opioid use disorder treatment by providing low threshold access. This is done by providing:

• walk-in access and requiring no appointments
• same-day treatment
• on-site dispensing
• no costs for treatment
• no commitment to recovery
• urine screens only done for buprenorphine
• no required counseling

Peer recovery coaches work at the clinic and provide case management and help patients work towards person-centered goals. Buprenorphine can be dispensed directly from the clinic for up to 14 days. Patients can choose to be referred out to longer-term treatment once they feel stabilized, or they may choose to continue going the Bupe Clinic. The clinic also serves as training for future healthcare professionals. 

This program is currently being evaluated by the University of Washington through a community-research collaborative grant from the Pew Charitable Trusts. More information on the program can be found in the report here, the presentation here, and the news articles here. The policies and procedures of the program are publicly available. 

The Olympia Bupe Clinic is similar to another program in the state, Bupe Pathways.