Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41350912›Full record

ArticleAddiction science & clinical practice2025

"They should be like penicillin": barriers to the integration of medications for opioid use disorder in specialty treatment programs.

Isha K Desai, Kathryn Burke, Jewyl Raikes, Justin Xu, Yuzhong Li, Brendan Saloner, Kenneth A Feder, Noa Krawczyk

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Addiction science & clinical practice, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

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

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
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

8 authors.

Isha K DesaiDepartment of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA. idesai1@jh.edu.
Kathryn BurkeDepartment of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
Jewyl RaikesDepartment of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
Justin XuDepartment of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
Yuzhong LiNew York University School of Global Public Health, 708 Broadway, New York, NY, 10003, USA.
Brendan SalonerDepartment of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
Kenneth A FederDepartment of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N Wolfe St, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
Noa KrawczykDepartment of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSpecialty drug treatment programs should be a key setting to treat opioid use disorder (OUD), but most programs continue to not treat OUD patients with evidence-based medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD). COVID-19 introduced some flexibilities that could improve uptake of MOUD but ongoing barriers have not been examined. We examined barriers and facilitators to integrating MOUD post-COVID among specialty treatment programs in New Jersey.

methodsBetween March-July 2023, we conducted 14 semi-structured qualitative interviews with leadership and clinical staff of New Jersey specialty outpatient drug treatment programs, with varying levels of client MOUD uptake. Thematic analysis examined barriers and facilitators to providing MOUD in specialty treatment programs in the post-COVID-19 era.

resultsTreatment providers revealed that financial barriers, including gaps in insurance coverage after COVID Medicaid expansions were terminated, continue to prevent MOUD use. Second, despite new buprenorphine telehealth flexibilities, a shortage of buprenorphine providers continues to limit ability to offer MOUD. Third, stigma against MOUD among clients, families, providers, and ancillary service providers such as housing programs continues to prevent MOUD initiation. Successful facilitators include expanding educational efforts on effectiveness of MOUD and harm reduction for clients and community members, forming specialized partnerships with pharmacies, and expanding care coordination efforts for those on MOUD.

conclusionsDespite efforts by federal and state governments, MOUD continues to be underutilized in specialty treatment settings, introducing significant risks for patients. Efforts should focus on reducing gaps in insurance coverage, improving provider knowledge of regulatory changes around MOUD, and supporting anti-stigma campaigns.

Indexed as

COVID-19Health Services AccessibilityOpiate Substitution TreatmentOpioid-Related DisordersSubstance Abuse Treatment CentersBuprenorphineHumansInsurance CoverageMedicaidNew JerseyUnited StatesBuprenorphineBarriers to treatmentBuprenorphineMedication treatmentOpioid use disorderSpecialty treatment facility

Identifiers

PMID41350912
PMCPMC12781360

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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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.