Understanding the Impact of COVID-19 on Methadone Retention and Adherence in an Underserved, Minority Population with OUD

With the emergence of COVID-19, regulations and policies surrounding methadone maintenance therapy (MMT) have been relaxed in order to increase flexibility and prioritize pandemic-related safety regulations. Given these unprecedented changes affecting methadone dispensation, it is a critical time to evaluate how these relaxed restrictions are affecting client and staff treatment experiences to inform sustained policies. This supplement aims to evaluate changes in methadone treatment retention and adherence following COVID-19 dictated relaxed opioid treatment program regulations and patient and staff experiences of COVID-19 changes, including increased take home doses and tele-health services.

Location: Baltimore, MD; Funding: NIDA (R61AT010799-01S1; 2020-2021; PIs: Magidson, Belcher). Opportunities for staff and graduate students to be involved in study coordination, qualitative interviewing, coding, transcription, and analysis, secondary data analysis, and future grant submissions.