Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40252371›Full record

ArticleThe International journal on drug policy2025

Barriers to accessing medications for opioid use disorder among rural individuals.

Anna M Morenz, Robin M Nance, L Sarah Mixson, Judith Feinberg, Gordon Smith, P Todd Korthuis, Mai T Pho, Wiley D Jenkins, Peter D Friedmann, Thomas J Stopka and 9 more

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in The International journal on drug policy, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

19 authors.

Anna M MorenzDepartment of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA. Electronic address: amorenz@arizona.edu.
Robin M NanceDepartment of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA.
L Sarah MixsonDepartment of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA.
Judith FeinbergWest Virginia University, 930 Chestnut Ridge Road, PO Box 9156, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA.
Gordon SmithWest Virginia University, 930 Chestnut Ridge Road, PO Box 9156, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA.
P Todd KorthuisDepartment of Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, 3270 Southwest Pavilion Loop OHSU Physicians Pavilion, Suite 350, Portland, OR 97239, USA.
Mai T PhoUniversity of Chicago, 5841 S. Maryland Avenue, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
Wiley D JenkinsPublic Health Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA.
Peter D FriedmannOffice of Research, UMass Chan Medical School - Baystate and Baystate Health, 3601 Main Street, 3rd Floor, Springfield, MA 01199, USA.
Thomas J StopkaDepartment of Public Health and Community Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine, 136 Harrison Avenue, Boston, MA 02111, USA.
Laura C FanucchiUniversity of Kentucky, 760 Press Avenue Suite 280, Lexington, KY 40536, USA.
William C MillerDepartment of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, CB#7435, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.
Vivian F GoUniversity of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, 363 Rosenau Hall CB# 7440, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.
Ryan WestergaardUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison, 1685 Highland Avenue, 5th Floor, Madison, WI 53705-2281, USA.
David W SealTulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, 1440 Canal Street, Suite 2210, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA.
William A ZuleRTI International, 3040 E. Cornwallis Road, PO Box 12194, Research Triangle Park, NC 2709-2194, USA.
Heidi M CraneDepartment of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA.
Joseph A DelaneyDepartment of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA.
Judith I TsuiDepartment of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA.

Funding

University of Washington/Fred Hutch Center for AIDS ResearchP30AI027757 · NIAID · UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON · PI CONNIE L CELUM · 1988 to 2026
$104.9M
Ending transmission of HIV, HCV, and STDs and overdose in rural communities of people who inject drugs (ETHIC)UH3DA044829 · NIDA · UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO · PI JENKINS, WILEY, PHO, MAI TUYET · 2019 to 2022
$5.2M
Kentucky Communities and Researchers Engaging to Halt the Opioid Epidemic (CARE2HOPE)UH3DA044798 · NIDA · UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY · PI COOPER, HANNAH LF, YOUNG, APRIL MARIE · 2019 to 2022
$4.4M
Oregon HIV/Hepatitis and Opioid Prevention and Engagement (OR-HOPE) Study Cost ExtensionUH3DA044831 · NIDA · OREGON HEALTH & SCIENCE UNIVERSITY · PI KORTHUIS, PHILIP TODD · 2019 to 2022
$4.0M
Drug Injection Surveillance and Care Enhancement for Rural Northern New England (DISCERNNE)UH3DA044830 · NIDA · BAYSTATE MEDICAL CENTER, INC. · PI FRIEDMANN, PETER D, STOPKA, THOMAS J · 2019 to 2022
$3.9M
Rural Comorbidity and HIV consequences of Opioid use Research and Treatment Initiative (Rural cohort)U24DA048538 · NIDA · UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON · PI CRANE, HEIDI M., TSUI, JUDITH · 2019 to 2023
$3.7M
Renewal: Gastrointestinal Surgery Outcomes Research FellowshipT32DK070555 · NIDDK · UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON · PI FLUM, DAVID R · 2010 to 2024
$3.6M
Next-Generation Sequencing Center for GHOSTing Hepatitis C Virus: Transforming Community Based Molecular Surveillance and Outbreak InvestigationU24DA044801 · NIDA · MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL · PI ALLEN, TODD M · 2017 to 2022
$3.3M
Community-based, client-centered prevention homes to address the rural opioid epidemicUH3DA044826 · NIDA · UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON · PI SEAL, DAVID W, WESTERGAARD, RYAN PATRICK · 2019 to 2022
$2.6M
Learning from the COVID-19 pandemic to improve emergency management planning for harm reduction services in rural OhioUH3DA044822 · NIDA · OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY · PI GO, VIVIAN F., MILLER, WILLIAM C · 2019 to 2022
$2.5M
Mitigating the Outcomes Associated with the Injection Drug Use Epidemic in Southern AppalachiaUH3DA044823 · NIDA · RESEARCH TRIANGLE INSTITUTE · PI ZULE, WILLIAM A · 2019 to 2021
$2.4M
Drug Injection Surveillance and Care Enhancement for Rural Northern New England (DISCERNNE)UG3DA044830 · NIDA · BAYSTATE MEDICAL CENTER, INC. · PI FRIEDMANN, PETER D · 2017 to 2018
$1.6M
NIAID NIH HHS P30 AI027757NIDA NIH HHS U24 DA044801NIDA NIH HHS U24 DA048538NIDA NIH HHS UG3 DA044798NIDA NIH HHS UG3 DA044822NIDA NIH HHS UG3 DA044823NIDA NIH HHS UG3 DA044825NIDA NIH HHS UG3 DA044826NIDA NIH HHS UG3 DA044829NIDA NIH HHS UG3 DA044830NIDA NIH HHS UG3 DA044831NIDA NIH HHS UH3 DA044798NIDA NIH HHS UH3 DA044822NIDA NIH HHS UH3 DA044823NIDA NIH HHS UH3 DA044826NIDA NIH HHS UH3 DA044829NIDA NIH HHS UH3 DA044830NIDA NIH HHS UH3 DA044831NIDDK NIH HHS T32 DK070555
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIndividuals with opioid use disorder living in rural areas face barriers to accessing medications for treatment (MOUD), including finding prescribing clinicians and difficulties with transportation. This study sought to describe self-reported barriers to MOUD access in rural areas and associations between desired MOUD type and barriers encountered or perceived.

methodsWe performed a cross-sectional study of Rural Opioid Initiative participants who ever used opioids and sought MOUD treatment, who were surveyed from 2018 to 2020 about access to MOUD. Multivariable logistic regressions explored the association between MOUD type and barriers while controlling for age, gender, race, and study site.

resultsOf 2906 participants who used opioids and sought MOUD, 826 (28.4 %) were unable to access MOUD. In logistic regression models, lack of transportation was a more common barrier for those seeking methadone versus sublingual buprenorphine (adjusted odds radio [aOR] 1.87, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.24-2.81). A long wait list was more common for those seeking injectable naltrexone than sublingual buprenorphine (aOR 1.68, 95 % CI 1.05-2.69). Lack of doctors or programs and affordability were more common for those seeking injectable versus sublingual buprenorphine (aOR 7.84, 95 % CI 4.87-12.63 and aOR 1.89, 95 % CI 1.26-2.83, respectively).

conclusionsAccess barriers vary by MOUD type for rural individuals with OUD. Compared to sublingual buprenorphine, methadone access was hindered more by transportation difficulties, while injectable long-acting buprenorphine was hindered more by affordability and finding a doctor or program. These barriers highlight the need to de-regulate and expand locations for methadone access and prescribing, and to improve affordability and prescriber uptake of newer MOUDs, such as injectable buprenorphine.

Indexed as

Health Services AccessibilityOpiate Substitution TreatmentOpioid-Related DisordersRural PopulationAdultAnalgesics, OpioidBuprenorphineCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMaleMethadoneMiddle AgedAnalgesics, OpioidBuprenorphineMethadoneAffordabilityBarriers to opioid use disorder treatmentMedications for opioid use disorderRural healthcareTransportation

Identifiers

PMID40252371
PMCPMC12103983

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.