Just 1/3 of Outpatient Mental Health Clinics Offer Medication Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder

A new study finds only one-third of mental health facilities offer medication treatment for opioid use disorder, HealthDay reports.

The findings suggest efforts are needed to strengthen these services, according to the study by RAND. The study surveyed 450 clinics in 20 states with the highest opioid-related overdose deaths.

The study found that clinics that offered integrated treatment services for people with substance use disorders were more than five times as likely to offer medication treatment as facilities without integrated services. Facilities that reported having a specialized treatment program for treating people with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders were more than twice as likely to provide medication management.

Researchers found that most clinics that did not offer medication treatment said they referred patients to other clinics for such care, with many sending patients to sites that are within the same treatment system.