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Reducing stigma and expanding methadone access in the U.S.: the Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act and beyond

Julio C Nunes1, Bryon Adinoff2

  • 1Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.

The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse
|July 28, 2025
PubMed

Insights

The Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access (MOTA) Act could improve methadone access by allowing prescriptions via pharmacies. This reform aims to reduce stigma and increase equitable treatment for opioid use disorder.

Area of Science:

  • Public Health
  • Addiction Medicine
  • Healthcare Policy

Background:

  • Opioid treatment programs (OTPs) are crucial for methadone delivery but can create barriers to access and increase stigma.
  • Restrictive methadone regulations limit patient access, particularly in underserved communities.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the implications, challenges, and policy directions of the Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access (MOTA) Act.
  • To assess the potential of the MOTA Act to improve equitable access to methadone via community pharmacies.

Main Methods:

  • This is a perspective piece, analyzing proposed legislative changes and existing evidence.
  • It reviews the role of OTPs, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on methadone access, and international pharmacy-dispensing models.

Main Results:

  • The MOTA Act proposes allowing addiction specialists to prescribe 30-day methadone doses through pharmacies, moving away from the traditional OTP model.
  • The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the safety of 30-day take-home methadone, and international models support pharmacy dispensing.

Conclusions:

  • Successful implementation of the MOTA Act requires addressing prescriber training, pharmacy participation, and insurance coverage.
  • Expanding methadone access through pharmacies can integrate addiction treatment into mainstream healthcare, potentially reducing stigma and improving outcomes for opioid use disorder.
Keywords:
Opioid use disordermethadonepolicystigma

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