On Aug. 7, 2023, a National Institute of Health supported study found that in 2021, an estimated 2.5 million people aged 18 years or older in the U.S. had opioid use disorder in the past year, yet only 1 in 5 of them (22%) received medications to treat it, according to the study. Some groups were substantially less likely to receive medication for opioid use disorder, including Black adults, women, those who were unemployed, and those in nonmetropolitan areas.

The study, published in JAMA Network Open, was a collaborative effort between researchers at the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control.