What you need to know

Telehealth became more widely available during the COVID-19 pandemic, including for people who were being treated for opioid use disorder (OUD). A recently published study supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) found that OUD telehealth services, including prescriptions for OUD medications, significantly reduced the risk of death from a drug overdose over the course of a year.

What did the researchers do?

Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and NIDA analyzed Medicare data from people who received OUD telehealth services and OUD medications, including buprenorphine. The researchers divided this group into two cohorts: people who received these services before the pandemic (September 2018 to February 2020) and people who received these services during the pandemic (September 2019 to February 2021).

The researchers found that people on Medicare who received OUD telehealth services during the pandemic had a 33% lower risk of having a fatal drug overdose. Although overall mortality rates were higher among the pandemic group, deaths caused by drug overdoses were similar between the pre-pandemic and pandemic OUD services groups. Importantly, Medicare beneficiaries with OUD who received medications from opioid treatment programs were 59% less likely to die from a drug overdose, and beneficiaries who received buprenorphine in office-based settings were 38% less likely to have a fatal drug overdose.

Why is this research important?

The results from this study show that providing access to OUD telehealth services and OUD medications reduces drug overdose deaths. Despite these positive results, the researchers found that only 1 in 5 people in the pandemic group utilized OUD telehealth services and only 1 in 8 received OUD medications. Expanding access to telehealth services, including OUD medication prescriptions, would help people with OUD reduce their risk of death from a drug overdose.

Where can I go to learn more?

Increased use of telehealth services and medications for opioid use disorder during the COVID-19 pandemic associated with reduced risk for fatal overdose

• NIDA, along with CDC and CMS, supported a study to determine whether OUD telehealth services and OUD medications reduced drug overdose deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic.

FindTreatment.gov

• If you or someone close to you needs help for a substance use disorder, visit FindTreatment.gov, which is supported by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Alcohol Use During the COVID-19 Pandemic

• Alcohol use and alcohol-related deaths increased during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sources

Jones, C. M., Shoff, C., Blanco, C., Losby, J. L., Ling, S. M., & Compton, W. M. (2023). Association of receipt of opioid use disorder-related telehealth services and medications for opioid use disorder with fatal drug overdoses among Medicare beneficiaries before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. JAMA Psychiatry. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2023.0310