Medication-Assisted Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder in Jails and Prisons: A Planning and Implementation Toolkit
Correctional administrators and health care providers are on the frontlines of the opioid epidemic as justice-involved individuals are disproportionately at risk of having opioid use disorder (OUD) and dying from opioid overdose. Despite the high rates of OUD among incarcerated individuals, evidence-based treatment does exist and can be successfully implemented within jails and prisons. The most effective treatment for OUD is the use of U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved medications (methadone, buprenorphine and extended-release injectable naltrexone), a treatment modality commonly known as medication-assisted treatment (MAT) or medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD). Across the nation, a growing number of jails and prisons offer MAT for OUD resulting in positive outcomes for patients, staff and jurisdictions.
WHAT IS IN THIS TOOLKIT?
- This toolkit provides correctional administrators and health care providers the information necessary to
- plan and implement MAT programs within jails and prisons. Organized by core components, each section
- offers actionable steps, implementation questions, real-world case examples, checklists, tools and resources
- drawn from the latest research, subject matter experts and experiences from diverse settings across the U.S.
- Examples of some of the tools and resources found in the toolkit include:
- Links to guidance from relevant professional trade associations.
- Links to screening and assessment tools.
- Strategies to reduce medication diversion.
- A table to help estimate the total MAT patient population.
- A calculator to estimate the costs of providing buprenorphine.
- A flowchart on how to become an opioid treatment program (OTP).
- A list of no-cost training resources.
- Sample forms for patient information and consent.
- Sample policies and operating procedures.
- Monitoring and evaluation metrics.