Lead Story:

Impact of jail-based methadone or buprenorphine treatment on non-fatal opioid overdose after incarceration

Drug and Alcohol Dependence

The authors studied the effect of receiving MOUD during incarceration in New York City jails on non-fatal overdose events during the year after discharge. Data were analyzed for patients with OUD incarcerated between 2011-2017 who either received MOUD during the 3 days before release (n=8660) or did not receive MOUD just prior to release (n=10,163). After controlling for covariates, those receiving MOUD had a significant reduction in non-fatal overdoses during the 14 days after release (adjusted HR: 0.49; 95% CI = 0.33-0.74). However, there was no reduction in non-fatal overdoses during the remainder of the 1 year after release. The authors speculate that this lack of benefit beyond 14 days may be due to failure to transition to outpatient MOUD after release. They conclude that MOUD in jail could be lifesaving and that it is important to ensure MOUD continues after release.

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