County-Level Uptake of Take-Home Methadone and Adverse Events Among Commercially Insured Individuals
Among commercially insured individuals with an opioid use disorder (OUD), county-level uptake of take-home methadone was not associated with significant changes in adverse events such as overdose rates, hospitalizations, and emergency department visits.
OUD is an ongoing public health problem in the U.S. In 2024, among those aged 12 years and older, 4.8 million had OUD with only 17 percent receiving medications for OUD such as methadone. Federal changes in 2020 allowed more flexibilities for take-home methadone, but the long-term effects of these changes on health outcomes and healthcare utilization have not been evaluated.
This study, published in the Journal of Addiction Medicine, found that county-level uptake of take-home methadone was not associated with adverse events among commercially insured individuals. The study’s findings suggest that expanding access to take-home methadone may not increase public health risks for individuals with opioid use disorder.
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