Only 1 in 4 People With Opioid Addiction Get Meds

With all the media attention surrounding the opioid addiction epidemic, some may wonder why a gap in rehab treatment persists. According to The Harvard Gazette, only 25% of those needing opioid addiction meds actually get them.

This finding may leave a sour taste, but the reality is that over 806,000 Americans died from opioid overdose between 1999 and 2023. How can this statistic be accurate with so many facilities working hard to change that?

Statistics vary by state, but approximately 2.4 million adults in the United States are experiencing opioid use disorders. With such a small number of people actively getting life-saving medication-assisted treatment (MAT) programs, there’s a clear need to expand access and support recovery.

Telehealth to Bridge Treatment Gaps

With medications inaccessible to so many, practitioners and researchers have explored promising alternatives that show great potential in preventing deaths. One solution is telehealth, which allows for patient convenience and privacy.

One study under Dr. Haiden Huskamp of the Harvard Medical School was launched in 2024 to illustrate telehealth’s effectiveness and examine the disparity between those with accessible opioid treatment and those who did not.

Huskamp and her team learned of a shortage of clinicians specializing in opioid addiction. That finding was most prominent in rural locations and was a huge barrier to treatment.

Telehealth can address that gap. Clinical telemedicine in particular can expand recovery measures that include medications used to prevent death from opioid overdose like buprenorphine, methadone, and naltrexone. This can be a critical option for patients seeking opioid addiction treatment.

Rehab.com helps patients find trusted providers for opioid addiction treatment by using the Rehab Score, which combines patient reviews and outcomes to highlight centers that offer evidence based care, including medication assisted treatment.

Expanding Access Nationwide

Huskamp’s study remains incomplete due to funding being cancelled in May 2025. Although the research halted, it showed the dramatic impact telemedicine visits had across the U.S. for increased care regarding opioid use disorders. This demonstrates how innovative approaches can improve access to opioid addiction treatment. The study’s findings can guide policy changes and improvements in navigating treatment modalities.

It’s imperative to use the healthcare system more efficiently and help as many people as possible. With an average of 217 Americans dying every day from opioid overdose, research is necessary if we are to change course.

If you or someone you know is battling with opioid use, Rehab.com can connect you to top rated rehab centers that offer MAT.

Explore treatment centers near you or call 800-985-8516 ( Sponsored Helpline ) today.