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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Prescription drug misuse

Treating a Public Health Crisis for Rural Moms – A Comparative Analysis of Four Rural States Addressing Maternal Opioid Misuse with Medicaid Innovation Models
Discusses how four states - Colorado, Indiana, Maine, and Missouri - have used the Maternal Opioid Misuse (MOM) model to address maternal opioid use disorders among rural Medicaid beneficiaries. Compares different approaches taken by each state, including benefit eligibility, health insurance payers and health systems partnerships, and telehealth utilization.
Author(s): Jason Semprini
Citation: Online Journal of Rural Research & Policy, 16(2)
Date: 2021
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Exploring the Role of Health Centers in Providing Medication-assisted Treatment
Examines the geographic areas that are most dependent on health centers for medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder. Compares statistics on DATA-waived providers and health centers with MAT patients across metropolitan, non-metropolitan, and rural health centers.
Date: 2021
Sponsoring organization: Health Resources and Services Administration
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Opioid Initiation and Injection Transition in Rural Northern New England: A Mixed-methods Approach
Highlights a study on opioid initiation and transition to opioid injection in rural New England. Bases findings on interviews with opioid users in 11 rural counties in Massachusetts, Vermont, and New Hampshire. Tracks the time and circumstances of first opioid use to first opioid injection.
Author(s): Kerry Nolte, Aurora L. Drew, Peter D. Friedmann, et al.
Citation: Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 217(1), 108256
Date: 12/2020
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Prevalence and Geographic Distribution of Obstetrician-Gynecologists Who Treat Medicaid Enrollees and Are Trained to Prescribe Buprenorphine
Highlights a study on the geographic distribution of Medicaid-claimant obstetrician-gynecologists trained to prescribe buprenorphine for opioid use disorder. Compares provider prevalence in rural versus urban counties.
Author(s): Max Jordan Nguemeni Tiako, Jennifer Culhane, Eugenia South, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 3(12), e2029043
Date: 12/2020
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How Does DATA-Waiver Provider Patient Capacity Relate to Opioid and Buprenorphine Prescribing?
Explores if regulatory changes to increase the patient capacity among buprenorphine waivered providers effects buprenorphine and opioids prescription rates at the county-level. Compares prescription rates by metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties.
Author(s): Robin Ghertner, Mir M. Ali
Date: 12/2020
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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Cost-Effectiveness of Scaling Up HCV Prevention and Treatment in the United States for People Who Inject Drugs
Highlights the cost-effectiveness of combining medication-assisted treatment (MAT) and syringe-service programs (SSP) with hepatitis C (HCV) treatment for people who inject drugs. Compares services for patients in rural Perry County, KY; and urban San Francisco, CA.
Author(s): Carolina Barbosa, Hannah Fraser, Thomas J. Hoerger, et al.
Citation: Addiction, 114(12), 2267-2278
Date: 12/2020
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Medicare Fee-For-Service Beneficiaries with Opioid Use Disorder in 2018: Disparities in Prevalence by Beneficiary Characteristics
Examines the sociodemographic, Medicare eligibility, clinical, and geographic characteristics of Medicare beneficiaries with opioid use disorder (OUD). Identifies disparities in OUD prevalence among Medicare beneficiaries. Discusses opportunities to tailor policies and interventions to beneficiary groups with high OUD prevalence to ensure access to treatment.
Date: 12/2020
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Opioids in Medicaid: Concerns About Opioid Use Among Beneficiaries in Six Appalachian States in 2018
Examines the rates of opioid use of Medicaid beneficiaries in 6 Appalachian states in 2018. Discusses the amount of the prescriptions issued, the amounts of opioids received, and the amount of providers with questionable prescribing practices, among other opioid-related measures.
Date: 12/2020
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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Few Patients Received High Amounts of Opioids from IHS-Run Pharmacies
Presents an evaluation of the opioid prescribing practices of the Indian Health Service (IHS). Bases analysis on IHS opioid prescribing data, discusses the role of electronic health records (EHRs) in monitoring opioid prescriptions, and makes recommendations to improve monitoring.
Date: 12/2020
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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Addressing Opioid Overdose Deaths: The Vision for the HEALing Communities Study
Highlights a study on the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the ongoing HEALing Communities Study (HCS), which began in 2019 with the goal of reducing opioid overdose deaths by 40% over 3 years. Discusses the intersection of the two crises across the country and discusses the variations in rural and urban locations.
Author(s): Redonna K. Chandlera, Jennifer Villani, Thomas Clarke, et al.
Citation: Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 217, 108329
Date: 12/2020
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