Headline
This study finds that extending flexibilities for medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) enacted during the pandemic is associated with health and cost benefits.
Context
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government relaxed various regulations for opioid treatment programs (OTPs) in prescribing MOUD. These include allowing for initiating buprenorphine via telehealth and allowing more flexibility for take-home doses of methadone. Despite studies finding that these new flexibilities led to increased patient satisfaction, greater engagement and retention, positive health outcomes, and no significant change in overdose rates, questions remain around whether these findings can be extrapolated beyond the pandemic. This study estimates the effectiveness of these OUD treatment flexibilities, which can support considerations around making these regulatory relaxations permanent.
Findings
Using a simulation methodology of 100,000 individuals receiving MOUD, this study analyzed health and cost outcomes with and without regulatory relaxations in place. The study found positive health and cost effects associated with making regulatory flexibilities permanent.
Takeaways
This study adds to a growing body of evidence highlighting the potential benefits of making permanent pandemic-related OTP flexibilities for MOUD treatment. It finds improvements related to health outcomes for people with OUD, as well as cost benefits, which federal policymakers can consider in deciding the future of pandemic-related OTP treatment flexibilities.