Primary Care-Based Models for Opioid Use Disorder Treatment

• Addressing the opioid use disorder (OUD) epidemic in the United States will require diverse approaches over many years.
• Greater integration of medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for OUD in primary care settings would expand access to treatment for this condition.
• Models for integrating MAT into primary care vary in structure, however.

This article in Annals of Internal Medicine, written by several researchers affiliated with the NIDA Clinical Trials Network and of potential interest to those following the CTN’s research on MAT and integration of primary care and substance use disorder treatment, summarizes findings of a technical report for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality describing MAT models of care for OUD.

The report, based on a literature review and interviews with key informants in the field, describes 12 representative models of care for integrating MAT into primary care settings that could be considered for adaptation across diverse health care settings.

Common components among all 12 models include:

• pharmacotherapy using buprenorphine or naltrexone,
• provider and community education,
• coordination and integration of OUD treatment with other medical and psychological needs, and
• psychosocial services and interventions.

Models vary in how each component is implemented.

Conclusions: Existing MAT models of care can inform expanded implementation in primary care settings.  Decisions about adopting MAT models of care should be individualized to address the unique milieu of each implementation setting.