Availability of timely methadone treatment in the United States and Canada during COVID-19: a census tract-level analysis

Original research
by
Amram, Ofer et al

Release Date

2023

Geography

International

Language of Resource

English

Full Text Available

Yes

Open Access / OK to Reproduce

No

Peer Reviewed

Yes

Objective

We sought to compare timely access to methadone treatment in the United States (US) and Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Findings/Key points

These results suggest that the more flexible Canadian regulatory approach to methadone treatment is associated with a greater availability of timely methadone treatment and reduced urban-rural disparity in availability, compared to the US

Design/methods

Cross-sectional study of census tracts and aggregated dissemination areas (used for rural Canada) within 14 US and 3 Canadian jurisdictions in 2020.

Keywords

Transitions in care/treatment
Substitution/OAT
Policy/Regulatory