ArticleDrug and alcohol dependence2022
The impact of COVID-19 and rapid policy exemptions expanding on access to medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD): A nationwide Veterans Health Administration cohort study.
Article in Drug and alcohol dependence, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers.
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Who cites it
14 citing papers in PubMed, 19 citations in OpenAlex.
- Differences in Intimate Partner Violence Screening, Violence Exposure, and Risk of Lethality Among Veterans with Substance Use Disorders.Journal of general internal medicine · 2026Article
- Lessons from COVID-19 for improving delivery of medications for opioid use disorder in future pandemic events: results from a Puerto Rico Delphi consensus panel.Harm reduction journal · 2026Article
- Engaging veterans in the development of mobile health interventions to support medication treatment for opioid use disorder.Frontiers in digital health · 2026Article
- Characteristics of Veterans Receiving Medication for Opioid Use Disorder: An Observational Cohort Study.Journal of general internal medicine · 2025Article
- The Importance of Treatment Modality in Veterans with Opioid Use Disorder: Implications for Virtual Care.Community mental health journal · 2025Article
- Emergency Department Visits, Inpatient Hospitalizations, and Nonfatal and Fatal Drug Overdoses During COVID-19 Among Veterans With Opioid Use Disorder.Journal of studies on alcohol and drugs · 2025Article
- Information Needs for Opioid Use Disorder Treatment Using Buprenorphine Product: Qualitative Analysis of Suboxone-Focused Reddit Data.Journal of medical Internet research · 2025Article
- Impact of COVID-19 on Substance Use Disorder Treatment: Examining the Influence of In-Person and Telehealth Intervention on Outcomes Using Real-World Data.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- "It didn't hurt me": patients' and providers' perspectives on unsupervised take-home doses, drug diversion, and overdose risks in the provision of medication for opioid use disorder during COVID-19 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.Harm reduction journal · 2024Article
- HIV Prevalence and HIV Screening History Among a Veterans Association Cohort of People with Opioid and Alcohol Use Disorders.Journal of general internal medicine · 2024Article
- Utilization and disparities in medication treatment for opioid use disorder among patients with comorbid opioid use disorder and chronic pain during the COVID-19 pandemic.Drug and alcohol dependence · 2023Article
- Trends in self-reported non-fatal overdose and patterns of substance use before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in a prospective cohort of adults who have injected drugs - Baltimore, Maryland, 2014-2022.Drug and alcohol dependence · 2023Article
- Overall and Telehealth Addiction Treatment Utilization by Age, Race, Ethnicity, and Socioeconomic Status in California After COVID-19 Policy Changes.JAMA health forum · 2023Article
- Patient experiences of methadone treatment changes during the first wave of COVID-19: a national community-driven survey.Harm reduction journal · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
18 authors at 5 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundIn March 2020, Veterans Health Administration (VHA) enacted policies to expand treatment for Veterans with opioid use disorder (OUD) during COVID-19. In this study, we evaluate whether COVID-19 and subsequent OUD treatment policies impacted receipt of therapy/counseling and medication for OUD (MOUD).
methodsUsing VHA's nationwide electronic health record data, we compared outcomes between a comparison cohort derived using data from prior to COVID-19 (October 2017-December 2019) and a pandemic-exposed cohort (January 2019-March 2021). Primary outcomes included receipt of therapy/counseling or any MOUD (any/none); secondary outcomes included the number of therapy/counseling sessions attended, and the average percentage of days covered (PDC) by, and months prescribed, each MOUD in a year.
resultsVeterans were less likely to receive therapy/counseling over time, especially post-pandemic onset, and despite substantial increases in teletherapy. The likelihood of receiving buprenorphine, methadone, and naltrexone was reduced post-pandemic onset. PDC on MOUD generally decreased over time, especially methadone PDC post-pandemic onset, whereas buprenorphine PDC was less impacted during COVID-19. The number of months prescribed methadone and buprenorphine represented relative improvements compared to prior years. We observed important disparities across Veteran demographics.
conclusionReceipt of treatment was negatively impacted during the pandemic. However, there was some evidence that coverage on methadone and buprenorphine may have improved among some veterans who received them. These medication effects are consistent with expected COVID-19 treatment disruptions, while improvements regarding access to therapy/counseling via telehealth, as well as coverage on MOUD during the pandemic, are consistent with the aims of MOUD policy exemptions.
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