“Of the 2.5 million Americans 12 years of age or older with [opioid use disorders] OUDs, fewer than 128,000 [less than 0.05%] of those attending specialty treatment programs had treatment plans that included pharmacotherapy” (Molfenter et al., 2017, p.2).
For many people with opioid use disorder (OUD), the most effective treatment is the combination of counseling and medication assisted treatment (MAT) with medications such as buprenorphine methadone, or naltrexone. MAT, an evidence-based best practice, allows individuals with OUD to be healthy, productive members of society (Sofuoglu, DeVito, & Carroll, 2018). As part of a comprehensive treatment program, MAT has been shown to:
- Improve survival
- Increase retention in treatment
- Decrease illicit opiate use
- Decrease hepatitis and HIV seroconversion
- Decrease criminal activities
- Increase employment
- Improve birth outcomes with perinatal drug users
(The Connecticut Certification Board, 2018)
Co-occurring disorders and comorbidity with communicable disease are common among individuals with OUD (Stoller & Stephens, 2016). A multifaceted approach to treatment is needed to address the diversity of needs.
Buprenorphine and naltrexone are two Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved MAT medications Buprenorphine works for both medically supervised withdrawal and maintenance. Naltrexone is a long acting medication that blocks the effects of administered opioid agonists and prevents return to opioid dependence after medically supervised opioid withdrawal. Both medications allow patient and provider more flexibility with regards to dosage and structure of MAT than a traditional methadone clinic. Like methadone, buprenorphine and naltrexone are classified as controlled substances and governed by the federal Controlled Substances Act.
MAT that has been approved by FDA is currently supported by unprecedented federal funding and resources in response to the opioid crisis. However, researchers have identified a significant gap between provider capacity to prescribe buprenorphine and naltrexone, and the number of individuals with OUD who are accessing medication assisted treatment (Abraham et al., 2015; Andraka-Christou, & Capone, 2018; Andrilla, Moore, & Patterson, 2018; Duncan, Mendoza, & Hansen, 2015; Haffajee, Bohnert, & Lagisetty, 2018; Molfenter, 2015; Valenstein-Mah, Hagedorn, Kay, Christopher, & Gordon, 2018).
Initial attempts to address the discrepancy between patient need and the application of MAT focused on increasing the number of providers who are DATA 2000 waivered. (To become a MAT provider in the United States, clinicians must receive specialized training and be granted a waiver to prescribe MAT medication under the Drug Addiction Treatment Act (DATA) of 2000 (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Agencies (SAMHSA), 2018). Significant efforts were made to increase the number of patients each individual Data waivered provider can treat, and to increase the overall number of waivered providers. Despite success in increasing both the number of prescribers and the number of patients each provider may serve, the average waivered physician is prescribing MAT medication under their allotted capacity, or not at all (Abraham et al., 2015; Andraka-Christou, & Capone, 2018; Andrilla, Moore, & Patterson, 2018; Duncan, Mendoza, & Hansen, 2015; Haffajee, Bohnert, & Lagisetty, 2018; Molfenter, 2015; Valenstein-Mah, Hagedorn, Kay, Christopher, & Gordon, 2018).
When asked why they were not providing MAT at capacity or in general, providers cited barriers that included bureaucracy, lack of resources and education, and stigma toward the OUD population. Researchers also asked what was working well in MAT. Providers who were successfully implementing MAT presented solutions to the barriers cited by colleagues (Andrilla, Moore, & Patterson, 2018; Valenstein-Mah, Hagedorn, Kay, Christopher, & Gordon, 2018). Researchers have come to the following consensus regarding the barriers and solutions to prescribing MAT (buprenorphine, naltrexone). See Table 1.
Table 1. Prescribing MAT (buprenorphine, naltrexone) at Capacity in Nevada – Barriers and Solutions
BARRIERS |
SOLUTIONS |
---|---|
Bureaucracy/ Regulatory Restrictions
|
|
Insufficient Resources
|
(“State-targeted funding was associated with increased program-level adoption of oral naltrexone (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]=3.14, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.49–6.60, p=.004) and buprenorphine (AOR=2.47, 95% CI=1.31–4.67, p=.006). Buprenorphine adoption was also correlated with state technical assistance to support medication provision (AOR=1.18, 95% CI=1.00–1.39, p=.049”. (Abraham et al., 2018,p.1) |
Insurance and Reimbursement
|
|
Motivation
|
|
Poor Care Coordination
|
|
Stigma
|
|
Workforce Barriers
|
|
Table 2. The Patient-Centered Opioid Addiction Treatment (P-COAT) Model (ASAM, AMA, 2018)
OPTION A: PAYMENTS FOR MEDICAL MANAGEMENT BY A 2000 PRACTITIONER |
---|
Opioid Addiction Team
|
OPTION B: PAYMENTS FOR MEDICAL MANAGEMENT BY AN ADDICTION SPECIALIST |
Opioid Addiction Team
|
OPTION C: PAYMENTS FOR COMPREHENSIVE SERVICES FROM AN OPIOD ADDICTION TEAM |
Under Option C, a single organization would serve as the Opioid Addiction Team, and it would employ or contract with the necessary personnel to prescribe medications, deliver psychiatric, psychological or counseling services, address non-medical needs, and provide care management services for individuals with an OUD. This organization would receive “bundled payments” (Comprehensive IMAT/MMAT Payments) designed to cover all of those services, and it would fit the bill for those services using current billing codes.
Potential Barriers Associated with Implementation of the P-Coat Model:
Solutions to Potential Barriers Associated with Implementation of the P-Coat Model:
|
Table 3. Number of DATA 2000 Practitioners Potentially Accepting New Clients, per Nevada County
County |
Number of DATA 2000 Practitioners |
---|---|
Carson City | 4 |
Churchill | 1, Additional provider(s) not currently accepting new clients, at capacity |
Clark | 215, Additional provider(s) not currently accepting new clients, at capacity |
Douglas | 2 |
Elko | 4 |
Esmeralda | 0 |
Eureka | 0 |
Humboldt | 1 |
Lander | 0 |
Lincoln | 0 |
Lyon | 1 |
Mineral | 1 |
Nye | 1 |
Pershing | Additional provider(s) not currently accepting new clients, at capacity |
Storey | 0 |
Washoe | 38, Additional provider(s) not currently accepting new clients, at capacity |
White Pine | 0 |
For a listing of individual providers lists by county, CASAT OnDemand Resources and Downloads
Because the most effective treatment for OUD is a combination of counseling and MAT, it is imperative that the existing barriers to MAT be addressed. Providers can use the solutions proposed by current providers and additional materials and links in the CASAT OnDemand Resources and Downloads section to offer people with OUD the most current and effective approaches indicated by the latest research.
NEVADA SPECIFIC RESOURCES FOR MEDICATION ASSISTED TREATMENT (MAT)
Integrated Opioid Treatment and Recovery Centers (IOTRCs) in Nevada, funded by Nevada’s State Targeted Response to the Opioid Crisis (STR) Grant
STR IOTRC current providers: (Watch this site for new awardees to be announced soon.)
Center for Behavioral Health: Center for Behavioral Health will be provided funding to expand services to meet the IOTRC certification for all five Nevada locations in Clark County and Washoe County. Medication Assisted Treatment for rural and frontier patients will be provided using telemedicine.
The Life Change Center: The Life Change Center will be provided funding to expand services to meet the IOTRC certification for the locations in Sparks and Carson City. Medication Assisted Treatment for rural and frontier patients will be provided using mobile services across Lyon, Storey, Churchill, and Douglas Counties.
Vitality Unlimited: Vitality Unlimited will be provided funding to expand services to meet the IOTRC certification at their Elko location. Elko is considered a frontier county in far Eastern Nevada. Medication Assisted Treatment is provided on-site and through telemedicine services.
Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs) in Nevada:
- http://dpbh.nv.gov/Reg/CCBHC/CCBHC-Main/
- Vitality Unlimited, Elko
- New Frontier Treatment Center, Fallon
- Bridge Counseling Associates, Las Vegas
Finally, for real time information on available residential beds in Nevada, call the 24/7 SAPTA Substance Use Assistance Duty Officer. For emergency placements, please call (775) 784-8090 or (800) 273-8255 to reach the officer on duty. For all other non-emergency inquiries, please call our main line at (775) 684-4190.
DATA 2000 WAIVERED PROVIDERS IN NEVADA AND THE UNITED STATES
For a complete listing of providers nationwide, or to locate providers in other states, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Agencies (SAMHSA) maintains inventories on two of their websites:
SAMHSA Buprenorphine Treatment Practitioner Locator: Find physicians authorized to treat opioid dependency with buprenorphine by state.
SAMHSA Opioid Treatment Program Directory: Find opioid treatment programs by state.
References
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Wow, I never heard of medication-assisted recovery before but it does look very promising, especially how it’s basically helping a patient have as little chance of relapse as possible. A friend of mine once expressed to me her desire to come clean of marijuana. I should probably suggest this kind of treatment for her.
Hi, Brittney,
I’m glad you found the post informative. Medication-assisted treatment is an effective adjunct to treatment for opioids, alcohol, and tobacco,but there are currently no FDA approved medications to assist in the treatment of cannabis use disorder. Effective treatments are available and a qualified treatment provider can make recommendations based on the goals your friend would like to achieve.
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