Trends in Access to Medications for Opioid Use Disorder
A study published in JAMA Health Forum found that during the early period of Medicaid unwinding—the rollback of pandemic-era enrollment protections that ended in April 2023—buprenorphine prescriptions declined, driven largely by drops in Medicaid-paid fills. This decline was partially offset by increases in commercial insurance and self-pay prescriptions. The researchers also observed differences across states for buprenorphine access, highlighting the important role of state policies in treatment for opioid use disorder.