Those trends changed by 2009. Compared with individuals living in all other types of counties, those living in counties with a lower proportion of black residents and a low poverty rate were much more likely to receive medication treatment. A similar pattern was seen among populations with a lower proportion of Hispanic residents and a low poverty rate, compared with communities with high numbers of Hispanics and not low poverty rate.
Dr. Stein and his colleagues cited several limitations. First, because the study analyzed Medicaid enrollees, it is not known how the findings might translate to uninsured or commercially insured patients. Another limitation is that the study data analyzed patients until 2009, making it difficult to generalize the findings to the population today. Finally, the researchers used a population-based approach.
Nevertheless, they said, the study advances understanding of the impact of buprenorphine on medication treatment among patients who receive Medicaid.
“At a time of intensive policymaker and regulatory efforts to increase [medication treatment] availability, of suffering from these disorders,” Dr. Stein and his colleagues wrote.
The study was supported by a grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The authors disclosed no relevant conflicts of interest.
SOURCE: Stein BD et al. Subst Abuse. 2018 Jun 22. doi: 10.1080/08897077.2018.1449166.