This report describes strategies adopted by state Medicaid programs in using data to address aspects of the opioid crisis, such as identifying outlier clinicians for opioid prescribing and patients with problematic opioid related behavior. The report describes specific programs implemented in several states. 

This report is a part of SAMHSA's Evidence-Based Resource Guide Series. It promotes policies and practices to lower the risk of overdose for persons with opioid use disorder who are or have been in contact with criminal justice systems with a focus on medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD).

This guide:

• reviews literature and science
• examines emerging and best practices
• determines key components of peer-reviewed models that affect policies and programs
• and identifies challenges and gaps in implementation

Additionally, examples of implemented programs and links to resources are provided in this document. 

This is a report from SAMHSA that examines emerging and best practices for initiating medications for opioid use disorder in emergency departments. It also reviews the existing literature and science of the topic, identifies gaps in knowledge, highlights successful program models, and discusses challenges of implementation.

This is an academic paper that gives a balanced policy analysis of the impact of the decriminalization of illicit drug use in Portugal. A wide array of outcomes are assessed in this drug policy reform. 

Using National Vital Statistics System mortality data (2002-2004 and 2014-2016), this study examined associations of county-level demographic, socioeconomic, and labor market characteristics on overall drug mortality rates and specific classes of opioid mortality. 

This is a white paper from the National Governors Association that discusses the history of how states have used emergency powers to provide governors with new avenues to enhance capabilities, coordination, and collaboration across state and local agencies. Guidance is provided to state officials on how to maximize this tool. 

This is a toolkit for state Medicaid officials on using Medicaid to advance evidence-based treatment for substance use disorders including how states may monitor and evaluate their selected strategies. Other state strategies are highlighted. 

This is a report from the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) that explores how telehealth can be used to support behavioral health and substance use disorders, with a particular focus on implications for medications for opioid use disorders. The report will help the reader better understand telehealth implementation and use, financing and sustainability, and impact in the field.

This issue brief from the Office of Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) identifies barriers to implementing buprenorphine prescribing via telehealth and makes suggestions on how to overcome these barriers. An overview of reimbursement by payors and additional links to resources are also provided in this document. 

This is an academic paper that provides commentary on leveraging telehealth in rural areas to increase the capacity of medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) in an underserved area. Current evidence for telehealth-delivered MOUD, promising program models, and regulatory issues are discussed, with links to many resources and data. 

Brattleboro Retreat in Vermont is taking a number of steps to meet the challenge of providing addiction treatment services during the coronavirus pandemic, including limiting admissions to in-state residents, setting up a care facility for those who test positive for the virus, and implementing telehealth for in-person meetings and counseling sessions.

This is a report from the Government Accountability Office that identifies and compares overall prevalence and differences in urban and rural areas for: the number of veterans with substance use disorder (SUD), the expenditures for veterans receiving SUD services, and availability of specialty SUD services. Veterans with opioid use disoder (OUD) in rural areas were found to receive medication treatment less frequently compared with urban areas.