This brief from the Office of Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) describes four key challenges related to the use of medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) in child welfare contexts for parents with opioid use disorder. It draws on results from a mixed-methods study examining how substance use affects child welfare systems across the country. There are also links to additional resources on the topic in this document. 

This is a report from the Legal Action Center and the Center for Court Innovation that is designed to help drug court practitioners understand medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) and to provide strategies for incorporating MOUD into their practice. Different MOUD models are discussed that can serve as a resource for courts that currently permit MOUD as well as those considering it.

Various drug courts and their experience with MOUD in New York are highlighted in this document. The information provided in this report also gives drug courts the tools to comply with recent mandates and public health imperatives so that they can improve participant outcomes by including MOUD. 

This technical brief, a publication of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), describes promising and innovative medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) models of care in primary care settings, describes barriers to MOUD implementation, summarizes the evidence available on MOUD models of care in primary care settings, and identifies gaps in the evidence base. 

The various models of care presented in this technical brief may help inform the individualized implementation of MOUD models of care in different primary care settings.

This is an academic paper that summarizes the evidence supporting medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD). It provides an overview of the pharmacology of MOUD, and discusses clinical indications for each form of MOUD.

This is an academic paper that provides a synopsis of the evidence for buprenorphine in treating opioid use disorder (OUD). The study concludes that buprenorphine is associated with improved outcomes compared with placebo for individuals and pregnant women with OUD and that buprenorphine treatment should be considered for inclusion as a covered benefit.

This is an academic paper that provides a synopsis of the evidence for methadone as a medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD). The study concludes that methadone is associated with improved outcomes for individuals and pregnant women with opioid use disorders, and that methadone should be a covered service available to all individuals.

This is a report from SAMHSA for a wide range of stakeholders (healthcare professionals, policymakers, patients, and families) that gives an overview of the three FDA-approved medications used to treat opioid use disorder (OUD) as well as other strategies and services needed to support recovery for people with OUD. Resources are provided at the end of this document. An executive summary of the report can be found here. 

This is an interactive mapping tool that gives an overview of what types of medications for opioid use disorder are provided in state prisons (methadone, buprenorphine, and/or naltrexone) at the state level along with supporting documents for this data. 

This is a consensus study report of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine put together by a committee of experts in the field. It summarizes the evidence on medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD), discusses the use of and evidence for these medications in different populations and settings, and identifies barriers to implementing MOUD. 

This report from SAMHSA provides an updated overview of three Food and Drug Administration-approved medications for opioid use disorder treatment—methadone, naltrexone, and buprenorphine—and other strategies and services needed to support people in treatment. It is targeted towards healthcare and addiction professionals, policymakers, patients, and their families. 

This is an academic paper that describes the collaboration between a multidisciplinary team of university, state and federal agency, and community experts to create a unified database linking controlled substance prescribing, overdose, and treatment for opioid use disorder in Connecticut that can better-inform interventions across the state. 

This report examines the current federal regulatory and legal landscape around the provision of and access to methadone for the treatment of OUD. It explores potential policy changes to address federal, state, and local barriers to the provision of methadone treatment and consider opportunities for implementing office-based methadone treatment.