The Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts has outlined strategies to expand prevention, treatment and recovery services for opioid use disorder in rural communities.
The brief draws on lessons from 10 programs funded by the nonprofit organization and is intended to guide states using Rural Health Transformation Program dollars, according to a March 25 news release. Rural areas, home to nearly 20% of the U.S. population, face barriers including provider shortages, stigma and transportation challenges that limit access to care.
Examples in the brief include a North Carolina learning network supporting clinicians by delivering medication for opioid use disorder across 88 counties that has reached more than 4,000 patients, as well as programs in Maryland and Kansas that expand treatment access through community-based models.
It emphasizes the role of partnership with pharmacists, first responders, schools and local organizations, along with investments in workforce development and infrastructure, to sustain opioid use disorder care in rural areas.
FORE, founded in 2018, has awarded 130 grants totaling $52.6 million to 106 organizations nationwide, the release said.
Read the full brief here.
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