Supporting individuals using medications for opioid use disorder in recovery residences: challenges and opportunities for addressing the opioid epidemic

ABSTRACT

Full and partial opioid agonists and opioid antagonist medications play an important role in containing the opioid epidemic. However, these medications have not been used to their full extent. Recovery support services, such as recovery residences (RRs), also play a key role. RRs may increase an individual’s recovery capital, facilitate social support for abstinence, and foster a sense of community among residents. These processes may be critical for individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD). In combination these two recovery pathways have the potential to enhance one another and improve outcomes among residents with OUD. Barriers to doing so have resulted in a limited supply of residences that can support residents using opioid agonist and antagonist medications. This perspective describes key interpersonal and structural barriers to medication use among individuals with an OUD seeking support from a recovery residence and discusses measures for reducing these barriers. These measures include workforce development to address stigma and attitudinal barriers and enhancing residence capability to ensure resident safety and reduce potential diversion. The perspective also highlights the need for additional research to facilitate the identification of best practices to improve outcomes among residents treated with medications living in recovery residences.

KEYWORDS:

• Recovery
• recovery residence
• opioid use disorder
• opioid agonist therapy
• policy
• implementation

Financial disclosures

The authors report no relevant financial conflicts.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, under requisition number X to X and by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (X). The funding agencies had no role in the writing of this report or in the decision to submit the paper for publication. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the SAMHSA, NIAAA, or the National Institutes of Health; Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Substance Abuse Treatment [SAM200916]; National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism [R01AA027782].