During the pandemic, guidance for #OAT was modified around the world, leading to more flexible access to take-home doses for many people treated with #methadone and #buprenorphine. In our new study in @JAMA_current, we evaluated the impact of these changes on patient outcomes. 
We looked separately at ppl treated with #methadone and #buprenorphine, stratified by level of take-home doses before the pandemic (daily or weekly). We then examined how more flexible take-home doses were associated with risk of OAT discontinuation, interruption and #overdose.
Impacts were most prominent among methadone recipients, where receiving new or extended take-home doses led to a lower risk of treatment discontinuation/interruption & a similar or lower risk of overdose.
Among those treated with buprenorphine, there were fewer changes; although moving from weekly to at least biweekly dispensing was associated with lower risks of treatment interruption, and importantly, changes were not associated with any increased risk of overdose or death.
The rigidity of OAT programs – particularly methadone – is a commonly cited driver of low retention among people accessing OAT. While these findings have direct implications during the pandemic, they also support continuation of more flexible take-home OAT doses moving forward.
Link to full paper here: jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/…
Thanks to the amazing team from @ODPRN_Research, @MAP_Health, @ICESOntario and @CAMHnews whose massive effort helped get this paper across the finish line, including @KitchSophie, @NikkiBozinoff, @Mina_T, @DMWerb, @JenniferWyman4, and many not on twitter!
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