Opioid-related Treatment, Interventions, and Outcomes Among Incarcerated Persons: A Systematic Review

Course overview

The article systematically examines various opioid-related interventions provided to individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD) before, during, and after incarceration. The review synthesizes findings from 46 studies across different regions and settings, including randomized controlled trials and observational studies, to evaluate the effectiveness of treatments such as methadone maintenance treatment (MMT), buprenorphine (BPN), and naltrexone (NLX). The study highlights that opioid agonist treatments (OATs) administered during incarceration significantly reduce opioid use, lower relapse rates, decrease mortality, and enhance retention in post-release addiction treatment. However, the review also notes limitations in the data.