Quantifying Barriers to Medications for Opioid Use Disorder in Skilled Nursing Facilities in a Southwestern Metropolitan Area

As the country endures an opioid epidemic in patients of all ages, chronic opioid use is increasingly common and patients may be frequently admitted to skilled nursing facilities for management of complications from opioid use.1 Patients with opioid use disorder (OUD) are recommended to receive medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD), including methadone and buprenorphine-naloxone, to reduce their risk for overdose.2 MOUD was previously referred to as medication-assisted therapy, but MOUD is now preferred because it reflects that medical treatment is the standard of care rather than an adjunct to care.