Correlates and Patterns in Use of Medications to Treat Opioid Use Disorder in Jail

Original research
by
Bailey, Amelia, Rithika Senthilkumar & Elizabeth A. Evans

Release Date

2023

Geography

USA

Language of Resource

English

Full Text Available

No

Open Access / OK to Reproduce

No

Peer Reviewed

Yes

Objective

We evaluated the implementation and outcomes of a MOUD program offered by 2 of the first jails nationwide to provide access to medications to treat opioid use disorder (MOUD, ie, buprenorphine, methadone, naltrexone).

Findings/Key points

At jail entry, 48.7% of individuals with opioid use disorder were being treated with MOUD. During incarceration, 65.1% received MOUD, attributable to a 9.2% increase in use of methadone (from 15.9% to 25.1%) and a 10.1% increase in use of buprenorphine (from 28.5% to 38.6%). During incarceration, 32.3% of individuals were continued on the same MOUD from the community, 25.4% were started, 8.9% stopped, and 7.5% switched type. A total of 25.9% entered jail not on any MOUD and were not started on it. Use of MOUD during incarceration was positively associated with having received MOUD in the community and incarceration at site 1 compared with site 2.

Design/methods

Adults with opioid use disorder (n = 347) incarcerated by 2 rural jails in Massachusetts

Keywords

Legal system/law enforcement
Substitution/OAT