Use of Medication for Opioid Use Disorder Among Adults With Past-Year Opioid Use Disorder in the US, 2021

Discussion

Despite guidelines recommending MOUD, approximately 1 in 5 adults with past-year OUD received any MOUD. Furthermore, some groups were substantially less likely to receive MOUD, in particular Black adults, women, those unemployed, and those in nonmetropolitan areas. Addressing disparities in MOUD uptake should be prioritized in program, policy, and clinical initiatives.

Consistent with prior research, receipt of telehealth treatment for substance use was associated with increased likelihood of MOUD receipt. This finding underscores the growing role telehealth can play in connecting patients with OUD to care. Limitations include NSDUH being subject to recall and social-desirability biases and lacking information about MOUD quality or duration. Findings may not generalize to groups excluded from the survey, including incarcerated individuals and people experiencing homelessness not living in shelters. Despite these limitations and the well-documented effectiveness of MOUD, our findings suggest that MOUD remains substantially underused. Future research should examine whether removal of the X-waiver in the US in 2023, along with other efforts to expand MOUD, will help close the treatment gap.