Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Prescription drug misuse
Synthetic Opioid and Stimulant Co-Involved Overdose Deaths by Occupation and Industry — United States, 2022
Examines occupations and industries with higher percentages of psychostimulant involvement in synthetic opioid overdose deaths. Includes information on occupations such as mining and farming, fishing, and forestry that are more common in rural areas.
Author(s): Eric W. Lundstrom, Alexandria Macmadu, Andrea L. Steege, Matthew Groenewold
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 74(10), 173–178
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Examines occupations and industries with higher percentages of psychostimulant involvement in synthetic opioid overdose deaths. Includes information on occupations such as mining and farming, fishing, and forestry that are more common in rural areas.
Author(s): Eric W. Lundstrom, Alexandria Macmadu, Andrea L. Steege, Matthew Groenewold
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 74(10), 173–178
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Opioid Use Among Rural Medicare Beneficiaries
Examines trends in prescription opioid use among Medicare beneficiaries in rural areas, utilizing 2010-2017 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) data. Provides data on receipt of opioid prescriptions among community-dwelling and facility-dwelling beneficiaries, associations between prescribing and chronic overlapping pain conditions (COPCs), and prescriptions exceeding CDC guidelines. Includes rural-urban comparisons.
Author(s): Yvonne Jonk, Heidi O'Connor, Karen Pearson, et al.
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: Maine Rural Health Research Center
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Examines trends in prescription opioid use among Medicare beneficiaries in rural areas, utilizing 2010-2017 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) data. Provides data on receipt of opioid prescriptions among community-dwelling and facility-dwelling beneficiaries, associations between prescribing and chronic overlapping pain conditions (COPCs), and prescriptions exceeding CDC guidelines. Includes rural-urban comparisons.
Author(s): Yvonne Jonk, Heidi O'Connor, Karen Pearson, et al.
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: Maine Rural Health Research Center
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Community Opioid Overdose Reversal Medications (OORMs) Planning Toolkit
Provides planning and strategy resources for organizations and communities to expand access to naloxone and other opioid overdose reversal medications (OORMs). Includes templates, implementation strategies and program examples, and more. Discusses rural considerations and programs throughout, including the Rural EMS Training Program and Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP).
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Provides planning and strategy resources for organizations and communities to expand access to naloxone and other opioid overdose reversal medications (OORMs). Includes templates, implementation strategies and program examples, and more. Discusses rural considerations and programs throughout, including the Rural EMS Training Program and Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP).
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Patient Centered Medication Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder in Rural Vermont: A Qualitative Study
Examines patient perspectives on medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) treatment in rural Vermont, utilizing interview data from 15 people who received care at Vermont Hub and Spoke clinics. Highlights patient perspectives on aspects of patient-centered care, and their influences on retention and engagement with treatment.
Author(s): Emily G. Hichborn, Owen B. Murray, Eilis I. Murphy, et al.
Citation: Addiction Science & Clinical Practice, 20, 3
Date: 01/2025
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Examines patient perspectives on medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) treatment in rural Vermont, utilizing interview data from 15 people who received care at Vermont Hub and Spoke clinics. Highlights patient perspectives on aspects of patient-centered care, and their influences on retention and engagement with treatment.
Author(s): Emily G. Hichborn, Owen B. Murray, Eilis I. Murphy, et al.
Citation: Addiction Science & Clinical Practice, 20, 3
Date: 01/2025
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Implementation of Mobile Medication Units: Findings from a Qualitative Study
Provides a brief overview of the development of policy regarding the approval of mobile medication units (MMUs) operated by opioid treatment programs (OTPs). Presents findings from an environmental scan and key informant interviews regarding MMU implementation. Discusses barriers to establishing, sustaining, and expanding MMU services. Describes opportunities to increase access to methadone in underserved communities. Includes rural references throughout.
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organizations: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, Mathematica
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Provides a brief overview of the development of policy regarding the approval of mobile medication units (MMUs) operated by opioid treatment programs (OTPs). Presents findings from an environmental scan and key informant interviews regarding MMU implementation. Discusses barriers to establishing, sustaining, and expanding MMU services. Describes opportunities to increase access to methadone in underserved communities. Includes rural references throughout.
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organizations: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, Mathematica
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Expanding the Opioid Use Disorder Medication Treatment Workforce in Rural Communities Through the RCORP Initiative
Examines the impact of the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP) on the workforce supply of Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)-waivered clinicians in rural areas, who are able to prescribe buprenorphine. Analyzes 2017–2022 DEA lists of waivered clinicians to report on counties with a waivered clinician, clinician-to-population ratios, and treatment slot-to-population ratios. Discusses the impact of RCORP funding on Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) recovery services in rural communities.
Author(s): C. Holly A. Andrilla, Sara C. Woolcock, Kathleen Meyers, Davis G. Patterson
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(1), e12867
Date: 2025
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Examines the impact of the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP) on the workforce supply of Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)-waivered clinicians in rural areas, who are able to prescribe buprenorphine. Analyzes 2017–2022 DEA lists of waivered clinicians to report on counties with a waivered clinician, clinician-to-population ratios, and treatment slot-to-population ratios. Discusses the impact of RCORP funding on Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) recovery services in rural communities.
Author(s): C. Holly A. Andrilla, Sara C. Woolcock, Kathleen Meyers, Davis G. Patterson
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(1), e12867
Date: 2025
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Substance Use Prevalence Among Indiana Youth
Provides 2024 information on substance use among youth in Indiana, with data on 30-day use rates, highest use substances, monthly use of electronic vapor products and other substances, and prevalence rates of rural student substance use.
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: Indiana Youth Institute
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Provides 2024 information on substance use among youth in Indiana, with data on 30-day use rates, highest use substances, monthly use of electronic vapor products and other substances, and prevalence rates of rural student substance use.
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: Indiana Youth Institute
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Tennessee Child Fatality 2024 Annual Report
Detailed review of deaths of Tennessee children ages 0-17 in 2022. Includes a section on the Sources of Strength program, an initiative to promote mental health and prevent suicides in rural communities.
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: Tennessee Department of Health
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Detailed review of deaths of Tennessee children ages 0-17 in 2022. Includes a section on the Sources of Strength program, an initiative to promote mental health and prevent suicides in rural communities.
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: Tennessee Department of Health
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Understanding MAT Access in the Context of Unused MAT Capacity in the United States: When Increasing Rural MAT Capacity is Not Enough
Examines the factors related to buprenorphine prescriptions to treat opioid use disorder (OUD) and the impacts of the federal DATA waiver to increase provider capacity. Utilizes multiple data sources to describe medication-assisted treatment (MAT) capacity, access, barriers, availability of MAT, and service area need in rural areas.
Author(s): Carolyn Carpenedo Mun, Rachel Zambrano, Eileen Tallman, et al.
Citation: Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy, 19, 47
Date: 12/2024
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Examines the factors related to buprenorphine prescriptions to treat opioid use disorder (OUD) and the impacts of the federal DATA waiver to increase provider capacity. Utilizes multiple data sources to describe medication-assisted treatment (MAT) capacity, access, barriers, availability of MAT, and service area need in rural areas.
Author(s): Carolyn Carpenedo Mun, Rachel Zambrano, Eileen Tallman, et al.
Citation: Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy, 19, 47
Date: 12/2024
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The Effects of Message Framing on US Police Chiefs' Support for Interventions for Opioid Use Disorder: A Randomized Survey Experiment
Examines how U.S. police chiefs frame cultural messages surrounding opioid use disorder interventions and the focus on public health and harm reduction versus public safety. Analyzes data from 276 police chiefs related to overdose prevention centers, syringe service programs (SSPs), Good Samaritan laws, Narcan distribution, collaboration for public health and safety, and acceptance of officers in recovery. Includes demographic breakdowns of police chiefs, such as region, urbanicity, and population per officer.
Author(s): Brandon del Pozo, Saba Rouhani, Amelia Bailey, et al.
Citation: Health & Justice, 12, 50
Date: 12/2024
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Examines how U.S. police chiefs frame cultural messages surrounding opioid use disorder interventions and the focus on public health and harm reduction versus public safety. Analyzes data from 276 police chiefs related to overdose prevention centers, syringe service programs (SSPs), Good Samaritan laws, Narcan distribution, collaboration for public health and safety, and acceptance of officers in recovery. Includes demographic breakdowns of police chiefs, such as region, urbanicity, and population per officer.
Author(s): Brandon del Pozo, Saba Rouhani, Amelia Bailey, et al.
Citation: Health & Justice, 12, 50
Date: 12/2024
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