Tuesday Jul 12, 2022
Lead Story: Laws for expanding access to medications for opioid use disorder: a legal analysis of 16 states & Washington D.C
The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse
This qualitative analysis identified and categorized state MOUD-related statutes and regulations in a random sample of four geographic locations covering 16 states and Washington D.C. The policies that appear to expand MOUD access fall within six policy domains: 1) expanding the availability of waivered buprenorphine providers, 2) expanding MOUD awareness, 3) criminal justice, 4) licensed SUD facilities, 5) insurers, and 6) hospitals. Some states appear to have taken more substantial policy efforts than others toward MOUD expansion, rather than conducting needs assessments or expanding educational opportunities for patients/providers. The authors identified several frontiers where laws are changing in ways that could potentially translate to better access to care.