Substance Use Prevention and Treatment Initiative

Despite decades of research establishing methadone as a safe and effective treatment for opioid use disorder, opioid treatment programs (OTPs) remain the only health care facilities allowed to offer this medication.

At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government began allowing patients with opioid use disorder (OUD) to connect with their health care providers via telehealth (through the internet or phone) to receive buprenorphine—an FDA-approved medication proved to reduce overdose deaths.

Individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD) struggle to get effective care: Of 2 million Americans with the illness, only 26% receive treatment. Now, as the coronavirus pandemic presents an added strain on the U.S. health care system, it is creating greater hardships for those seeking OUD treatment.

Opioid-related overdose deaths and related harms continue to devastate communities across the country, and local resources—including emergency medical services, law enforcement, and health care providers—are under immense strain to respond.