Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 10, 2025

Investigating Drivers of Antireward in Addiction Behavior with Anatomically Specific Single-Cell Gene Expression Methods
Published on: August 4, 2022
Early Effects of COVID-19 on Programs Providing Medications for Opioid Use Disorder in Jails and Prisons
Sachini Bandara1, Alene Kennedy-Hendricks, Sydney Merritt
1Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD (SB, CLB, BS); Johns Hopkins Center for Mental Health and Addiction Policy Research, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD (SB, AKH, CLB, BS); Department of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD (AKH, SM, CLB, BS).
Objectives:
To describe how the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has affected opioid agonist treatment (OAT) programs in jails and prisons.
Methods:
In May 2020, we conducted an online survey of 19 carceral systems that provided methadone and/or buprenorphine treatment for incarcerated populations before COVID-19. Eleven survey items examined challenges and changes to these programs as a result of the pandemic. Sixteen of 19 programs (84%) responded to the survey.
Results:
Ten out of 16 systems reported downsizing their OAT programs. Seven of 16 systems made changes to medication dispensation processes. Half of systems report challenges implementing physical distancing (n = 8), and/or obtaining personal protective equipment (n = 8). In 13 out of 16 systems some OAT program participants were released early due to COVID-19 infection risk.
Conclusions:
Jails and prisons with existing OAT programs have curtailed their operations in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Given the robust evidence base around OAT for treating opioid use disorder and averting overdose deaths, guidance is needed on maintaining and ramping up medication access as carceral facilities grapple with implementing COVID-19 mitigation.
More Related Videos
08:05A Procedure to Study Stress-Induced Relapse of Heroin Seeking after Punishment-Imposed Abstinence
Published on: March 23, 2022
09:54Combining Laser Capture Microdissection and Microfluidic qPCR to Analyze Transcriptional Profiles of Single Cells: A Systems Biology Approach to Opioid Dependence
Published on: March 8, 2020
Related Concept Videos
Drug Abuse and Addiction: Pharmacological Phenomena
Substance Use Disorders Affecting Sleep
Understanding the concepts of physical dependence,...
Opioid Receptors: Overview
Drug Dependence
Opioid Analgesics: Synthetic and Semisynthetic Opioids
Drugs Affecting GI Tract Motility: Opioids as Antidiarrheal Agents
Opioids, widely used antidiarrheal agents, mitigate diarrhea by slowing down...