Pandemic lockdowns significantly disrupted access to drug treatment for many struggling with substance abuse, exacerbating the already low levels of access and underuse of effective medication for opioid use disorder. In response, government agencies eased restrictions on security, licensing, prescribing, and reimbursement to allow for greater access via telehealth. For example, practitioners were no longer required to conduct an in-person examination to prescribe withdrawal medications; many insurers picked up payment costs, and location restrictions were lifted in many rural areas. These measures improved access to OUD medications and services, as more and more physicians began to take advantage of telehealth to treat addiction. A new survey of about 1,000 doctors finds that loosening telehealth regulations had a positive impact, with a majority saying it was more effective than expected and a viable treatment option. An overwhelming majority also favor making the changes permanent, as telehealth helps patients who have a prohibitive commute to a medical facility, high childcare arrangement costs, or inflexible employment, all of which may lead to medication delays that resulting debilitating withdrawal symptoms. These findings are critical at a time when overdose fatalities are soaring, and up to 90 percent of individuals with an OUD do not receive treatment of any kind, and of those who do about two-thirds do not receive safe and effective medications. Telehealth is not a panacea for addiction but can contribute to expanding access to treatment for many people.
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Rosenthal Center for AddictIon Studies