A State Policy Option to Expanding Methadone: Utilize Federally Qualified Health Centers

Source: Recovery Research Institute

In 2019, the state of Ohio passed legislation that allowed for alternative treatment settings for methadone delivery, including Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), prisons, jails and county health departments. The Recovery Research Institute prepared this plain language summary of a peer-reviewed study that looked at the effect implementation of the Ohio policy would have on expanding access to treatment. The authors of the study used a geospatial modeling analysis that looked at whether access to evidence-based methadone treatment for OUD would improve if FQHCs as well as a chain pharmacy were added to as methadone treatment options. The study found access to treatment within a reasonable distance was significantly improved by adding additional delivery settings. The summary discusses the policy implications of the study and provides recommendations for policymakers, treatment professionals, and researchers interested in expanding access to methadone treatment.

Methadone as a medication to treat opioid use disorder (OUD) has been shown to be effective at retaining patients in treatment and is considered a preferred treatment option for many patients, particularly those seeking a more structured treatment setting. Methadone treatment for OUD is highly regulated and that has led to reduced access for this treatment for many individuals, particularly those in rural settings who may not have opioid treatment facilities in their regions.

Funding Source: Recovery Research Institute – “This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.”

A State Policy Option to Expanding Methadone: Utilize Federally Qualified Health Centers

A plan language summary of a research study that looked at how expanding eligible treatment settings for methadone treatment for OUD could improve access to treatment for patients from the Recovery Research Institute