Abstract
<jats:p>Medication-assisted treatment is considered the gold standard treatment for opioid use disorder[1]. However, implementation in carceral settings remains limited[2]. A meta-analysis of three randomized-controlled trials (n= 324) finds that medication-assisted treatment initiated in carceral settings is an effective intervention for opioid use disorders. The authors conducted a systematic review of the PubMed database in late 2023/early 2024 and evaluated 130 articles for potential inclusion in the meta-analysis. Of these, three were selected that had the desired outcome measure of opioid relapse at six months as observed via a urinalysis. The authors constructed a logistic model for the odds of relapsing with any treatment, and then specifically with methadone, as compared to controls. The odds of not relapsing, relative to controls, were 2.67 (95% CI = [1.677, 4.332] with any treatment and 4.13 (95% CI = [2.129, 8.374]) for methadone, respectively. The authors conclude that while current literature shows MAT, specifically methadone, is an effective treatment for OUD when initiated in carceral settings, there needs to be more RCTs done in carceral settings, especially RCTs with follow ups >1 month from release.</jats:p>