Health Care Capsule: Treatment for Drug Misuse

U.S. drug overdose deaths have increased dramatically in recent years. Many deaths are from the use of illegal drugs or misuse of prescription drugs. This Health Care Capsule summarizes our work on drug misuse treatment in the U.S.

We've found several challenges to getting treatment and identified ways to help, including:

Addressing health care workforce shortages and increasing treatment availability

Increasing access for vulnerable populations, for example, by reaching people living in rural areas with mobile treatment units

Making it easier to get insurance coverage for treatment, such as by no longer requiring prior authorization