Racial/ethnic disparities in the use of medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) and their effects on residential drug treatment outcomes in the US

Background: This study examines racial/ethnic disparities in the use of medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) in residential treatment and the influence of race/ethnicity on the association between MOUD use and treatment retention and completion. Methods: Data were extracted from SAMHSA's 2015-2017 Treatment Episode Dataset-Discharge (TEDS-D) datasets for adult opioid admissions/discharges to short-term (ST) (30 days or less) (N = 83,032) or long-term (LT) (> 30 days) residential treatment settings (N=61,626). Logistic regression estimated the likelihood of MOUD use among racial/ethnic groups and the moderation of race/ethnicity on the probability of treatment completion and retention, controlling for background factors. Results: After adjusting for covariates, compared to Whites, MOUD use was less likely for Blacks in ST (OR = 0.728) and LT settings (OR = 0.725) and slightly less likely for Hispanics in ST settings (OR = 0.859) but slightly more likely for Hispanics in LT settings (OR = 1.107). In ST settings, compared to Whites, the positive effect of MOUD on retention was enhanced for Blacks (OR = 1.191) and Hispanics (OR = 1.234), and the positive effect on treatment completion was enhanced for Hispanics (OR = 1.144). In LT settings, the negative association between MOUD and treatment completion was enhanced for Hispanics (OR = 0.776). Conclusions: Access to medications for opioid use disorder in short term residential treatment is particularly beneficial for Blacks and Hispanics, though adjusted models indicate they are less likely to receive it compared to Whites. Results are mixed for long-term residential treatment. Residential addiction treatment may represent an important setting for mitigating low rates of medication initiation and early discontinuation for minority patients.

Automated summary

This study found racial/ethnic disparities in the use of medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) in short-term residential treatment, with Blacks and Hispanics less likely to receive treatment compared to Whites. Results were mixed for long-term residential treatment, with varying effects of MOUD on treatment completion among different racial/ethnic groups.