Opioids, Opioid Use Disorder, & Overdose Prevention

From 1999 through 2019, there were more than 840,000 drug overdose deaths in the United States. The crisis has continually evolved and escalated, including during the COVID-19 pandemic, when an estimated 93,000 persons lost their lives to drug overdose in 2020--approximately a 30% increase over the year prior.

Buprenorphine treatment has been found to be an effective treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD). Child welfare systems have been partnering with treatment providers to increase access, yet little is known about its role in improving outcomes related to child maltreatment.

How Does DATA-Waiver Provider Patient Capacity Relate to Opioid and Buprenorphine Prescribing? Issue Brief Robin Ghertner and Mir M. Ali U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Postpartum Opioid Prescription Fills, Opioid Use Disorder, and Utilization of Medication-Assisted Treatment among Women with Medicaid and Private Health Insurance Coverage Issue Brief Mir M. Ali, Kristina West, and Emma Nye U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Treatment providers, policymakers, and others are seeking ways to reverse the tide of mortality and morbidity that has accompanied the opioid epidemic. There are evidence-based treatments for opioid use disorder (OUD), including medication-assisted treatment (MAT) using buprenorphine, methadone, and naltrexone. Research shows that retention in MAT results in better outcomes.

Parental opioid use disorder (OUD) is a risk factor for the maltreatment of children and placement into foster care. Opioid agonist therapy (OAT) is an evidence-based treatment for OUD using medications such as methadone and buprenorphine. OAT can help parents enter recovery and reduce the risk of maltreatment, and potentially improve child welfare outcomes.

This report builds on a workshop sponsored by ASPE, titled Addressing the Opioid Epidemic: Harnessing the Power of Data for Patient-Centered Research in December 2018, which showcased projects working to build the data infrastructure for patient-centered outcomes research around opioids.

Non-fatal opioid overdose (NFOO) is a significant cause of opioid-related morbidity in the United States. As the number of NFOOs continues to grow, it is important to understand the short- and long-term consequences of NFOO.

The purpose of this report is to gain a better understanding of the role and range of different models of psychosocial support in medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder.

ABSTRACT This report was included as Appendix B of "Psychosocial Supports in Medication-Assisted Treatment: Site Visit Findings and Conclusions." That report's purpose was to gain a better understanding of the role and range of different models of psychosocial support in medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder.