Access To Medication Assisted Treatment For Opioid Addiction: An OPEN MINDS Market Intelligence Report

Medication assisted treatment (MAT) uses a combination of prescription drugs and behavioral treatment to address addiction. Typically referring to the use of medications to treat dependence rather than medications used to treat withdrawal during detoxification, MAT can be seen as an important tool in combating the overuse of both legal and illegal opioids. As of 2017, there were currently three FDA-approved medications for opioid dependence:

1. Methadone
2. Buprenorphine
3. Naltrexone.

Naloxone,used to treat opioid overdoses, is not considered a MAT drug because it does not address dependence.

To assess the market opportunity of MAT services, this OPEN MINDS report provides original analysis on the geographic distribution of MAT clinical professionals and provider organizations in the U.S., and an analysis of the estimated and potential capacity of the MAT market. Taken together, these analyses provide a complete picture of the need for MAT services in new geographic areas, and areas which may be experiencing a shortage of services.

For payer executives and clinical professionals who are championing MAT approaches to opioid addiction treatment, a fundamental question is whether there is adequate consumer access to MAT professionals and programs.

The report answers a number of questions including:

1. What consumer access trends exist for medication assisted treatment?
2. What are the rules and regulations for prescribing MAT?
3. What trends exist in the number of professionals offering MAT?
4. What is the geographic distribution and capacity in MAT?