Policy Surveillance for OUD/Justice/COVID (043)

COVID-19 threatens to exacerbate the ongoing opioid epidemic in the United States, but the pandemic has also provided an opportunity to experiment with changes in how opioid treatment services are delivered around the country. The current pandemic has resulted in a flurry of unprecedented policy measures, and it is crucial to understand the impact that…

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PDAPS Policy Datasets (001)

This study deployed a unique substance use-specific policy lab called the Drug Outcome Policy Evaluation (DOPE) to better understand the impact of state policies and subsequent health. DOPE expands on the Prescription Drug Abuse Policy System (PDAPS) and the Drug Abuse Policy System (DAPS) to track state policies aimed to address the toll of opioid…

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Evaluation of Massachusetts State-Mandated Pilot of MOUD in Jails (032)

A 2018 Massachusetts law (“Chapter 208”) established a 4-year pilot program to expand the use of all FDA-approved forms of medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) at five county jails; two additional jails voluntarily joined this pilot. The law stipulates that MOUD be maintained in individuals who were already receiving it prior to detention; initiated prior to release from jail when appropriate; and continued in the community via facilitated linkages to local services after release. The Massachusetts Hub will conduct a longitudinal treatment outcome study of individuals in these jails to examine MOUD initiation, engagement and retention, as well as fatal and non-fatal overdose and recidivism. The study will also identify strategies associated with the successful implementation of MOUD and inform the development of future strategies to address opioid use disorder in jails nationwide.

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