By Sheri Doyle, Photo: The Pew Charitable Trusts, PEW, February 17, 2022
Drug overdose deaths have skyrocketed during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to provisional data, there were more than 100,000 fatalities in the 12-month period ending June 2021—a 20.6% increase over the previous 12 months.
To address this crisis, states should expand their treatment offerings and remove unnecessary regulations so that more people can access lifesaving treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD). Although medication is the most effective treatment for OUD, only a fraction of the people who need medication receive it: In 2019, just 18% of the 1.6 million people with OUD in the U.S. received medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD).
Much attention has been given to expanding treatment using buprenorphine, one of the three FDA-approved medications for OUD, in primary care and other settings. But less has been paid to opioid treatment programs (OTPs)—the only facilities where all forms of MOUD can be offered, and the only care setting where methadone is available.
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To read about the challenges faced by Americans seeking opioid treatment, click HERE.
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