Objectives:To examine patient characteristics and outcomes among opioid use disorder patients enrolled in low-threshold buprenorphine treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods:This paper describes the adaptation of the Project Connections (PC) program, a low-threshold buprenorphine program in Baltimore, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper examines patient characteristics and initial outcomes of patients served during a rapid protocol shift to telehealth that allowed buprenorphine initiation without an in-person encounter following a state-mandated stay-at-home order. Patient characteristics were compared to a subsample of patients enrolled in the program before the COVID-19 pandemic.Results:In March 2020, there was a sharp increase in new enrollments to the PC program. A total of 143 patients completed an intake assessment between March and May 2020 and 140 began treatment with buprenorphine/naloxone. Those who completed an intake assessment were primarily male (68.5%), Black (83.2%), had a mean age of 43.2 years (SD = 11.7), and reported a mean of 17.0 years of opioid use (SD = 12.9). The majority of patients were unemployed (72.7%) and reported previous criminal justice involvement (69.2%). Of those who completed an intake assessment, 96.5% returned for a second visit. Among those for whom 30-day retention data was available (n = 113), 63.7% were engaged for 30 days or longer.Conclusions:The PC program illustrates that offering on-demand, flexible treatment is an opportunity to increase opioid use disorder treatment access, even during a public health emergency that disrupted access to services. Relaxation of buprenorphine telehealth regulations allowed for flexibility in treatment and benefits vulnerable populations.

This secondary data analysis examined the association between criminal justice (CJ) status and outcomes over 12 months of methadone maintenance treatment. In the parent study, 230 newly admitted patients were randomly assigned to methadone either with or without counseling for 4 months followed by standard methadone with counseling. Participants completed the ASI and urine drug testing at baseline and 4- and 12-month follow-up and the Treatment Readiness (TR) scale at baseline. The relationship between baseline CJ status (whether participants were on probation or parole), CJ status by study counseling condition, and CJ status by TR with heroin and cocaine use, illegal activity, days in treatment and treatment retention, arrests, and the number of days incarcerated or hospitalized during follow-up was examined. Compared with participants not on probation/parole, probationers/parolees showed significant reductions in cocaine-positive tests from baseline to 12 months (P < 0.001). Probationers/parolees additionally reported significantly fewer days of illegal activity than nonprobationers/parolees at 12 months (P = 0.02). There was no relationship between CJ status and counseling condition for any outcomes. The relationship between CJ status and TR was significant only for cocaine-positive tests assessed over time (P = 0.017). Findings suggest that methadone participants on probation/parole showed improvements in outcomes in comparison with participants not on probation/parole, regardless of whether they received counseling during the first 4 months of treatment.

To compare acceptability, tolerance of side effects, and continuation rates among adolescent and adult Norplant accepters. An 18-month observational study was conducted of 136 adolescents and 542 adults who received Norplant at the Francis Scott Key Medical Center in Baltimore, Maryland. Data were collected from the following: a self-administered history form completed at the preinsertion visit, a self-administered follow-up form completed at routine follow-up visits, problem-visit chart review, and telephone contact for patients noncompliant with follow-up appointments. The adolescents ranged in age from 13-18 years (mean 16.4), and adults ranged in age from 19-46 (mean 24.7). The mean parity among teenagers was 1.4; among adults, 3.2. Thirty-nine percent of teenagers and 64% of adults had had one or more therapeutic abortions. Forty percent of adolescents and 47% of adults reported at least one contraceptive failure in the past. Both adolescent and adult Norplant accepters made few telephone calls or problem visits because of complaints or side effects. Compliance with routine annual follow-up was poor for adolescents (24 of 136, 18%) and adults (72 of 542, 13%). Follow-up of noncompliant patients revealed low rates of implant removal. Fifteen adolescents (11%) and 60 adults (11%) had Norplant removed. The most common reasons for removal included irregular bleeding, weight gain, headaches, and desire for pregnancy. Implant acceptability, continuation, and tolerance of side effects were high and comparable among adolescent and adult accepters. Initial implant users were primarily adolescents or adults who had experienced problems with other forms of reversible contraception. Adherence to scheduled follow-up appointments was poor, regardless of age.