Press Releases

National Commission on Correctional Health Care Foundation Publication Highlights the Critical Role of Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) for Opioid Dependent Individuals in the Criminal Justice System

The new white paper highlights the critical role of jails in expanding treatment access given the elevated risk and need of individuals entering and exiting our jails each year


Richmond, VA, March 1, 2022 – Indivior PLC (LON: INDV) and the National Commission on Correctional Health Care (NCCHC) Foundation announces the release of a new white paper, From the General Public to America’s Jails: MAT Saves Lives, which captures the critical role of the criminal justice system in providing medications to treat opioid use disorder (OUD) for at-risk and high-need populations.1

The publication summarizes the effectiveness of providing jail-based Medication for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) on treatment retention, reducing illicit opioid use, improved criminal justice outcomes, and reducing healthcare systems costs.1 Despite the strong evidence for the effectiveness of MOUD in improving and saving lives for those with OUD, numerous barriers limit access to medication-based treatment, including stigma, legal and regulatory concerns, and health care coverage and costs.1

“Among criminal justice involved individuals, opioid-related overdose is a leading cause of death during or following incarceration,”2 said Mark Crossley, Chief Executive Officer, Indivior. “This publication highlights the critical role of policy. More states have enacted legislation or taken executive action to make recovery possible by providing at least one form of MOUD treatment in correctional facilities and by supporting the individual’s re-entry into the community.”

An estimated 24 percent to 36 percent of opioid-dependent adults will cycle through America’s jails annually.3 Among individuals sentenced to jail and state prison, regular use of opioids was reported at 17 and 19 percent, respectively.4 Evidence shows positive results of jail-based MOUD, including increased treatment retention and reduced illicit opioid use, reduced criminal behavior and recidivism, reduced mortality and overdose risk, and reduced HIV/hepatitis C risk behaviors.1

 “The ultimate goal of medications for opioid use disorder is full recovery, including the ability to live a self-directed life,”5 said Deborah Ross, Chief Executive Officer, NCCHC. “MOUD can help people overcome opioid addiction and regain normal, healthy lives through medication, counseling, and support.”6

This report was funded by Indivior through its membership as a Gold Partner in the NCCHC’s Partners in Correctional Health Annual Giving Society and in support of the mission of the NCCHC Foundation: to champion the correctional health care field and serve the public by supporting research, professional education, scholarships, and patient reentry into the community.

About Opioid Use Disorder (OUD)
Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) is characterized by loss of control of opioid use, risky opioid use, impaired social functioning, tolerance, and withdrawal.7OUD may affect the parts of the brain that are necessary for life-sustaining functions.8

About NCCHC Foundation
Founded in 2020, the NCCHC Foundation is the philanthropic charitable arm of the National Commission on Correctional Health Care, the only national organization dedicated to improving the quality of health care in the nation’s jails, prisons, and juvenile facilities.

About Indivior
Indivior is a global pharmaceutical company working to help change patients’ lives by developing medicines to treat substance use disorders (SUD) and serious mental illnesses. Our vision is that all patients around the world will have access to evidence-based treatment for the chronic conditions and co-occurring disorders of SUD. Indivior is dedicated to transforming SUD from a global human crisis to a recognized and treated chronic disease. Building on its global portfolio of OUD treatments, Indivior has a pipeline of product candidates designed to both expand on its heritage in this category and potentially address other chronic conditions and co-occurring disorders of SUD, including alcohol use disorder and cannabis use disorder. Headquartered in the United States in Richmond, VA, Indivior employs more than 900 individuals globally and its portfolio of products is available in over 40 countries worldwide. Visit www.indivior.com to learn more. Connect with Indivior on LinkedIn by visiting www.linkedin.com/company/indivior.


Media Contacts:

UK
Tulchan Communications
+44 207-353-4200

US
IndiviorMediaContacts@indivior.com
+1 804-594-0836

Jason Thompson
Vice President, Investor Relations
Indivior PLC (LON: INDV)
Mobile: 804-402-7123

 

References:

  1. Nieves, L. “From the General Public to America’s Jails: MAT Saves Lives.” December 2021. From_the_General_Public_to_Americas_Jails_-_MAT_Saves_Lives.pdf (ncchc.org). Accessed on January 13, 2022.
  2. Binswanger et al., “Mortality After Prison Release: Opioid Overdose and Other Causes of Death, Risk Factors, and Time Trends From 1999 to 2009”; Merrall et al., “Meta-Analysis of Drug-Related Deaths Soon After Release From Prison,” Addiction, 105, no. 9 (2010), 1545-1554.SAMHSA.
  3. A. Boutwell et al., “Arrested on Heroin: A National Opportunity,” Journal of Opioid Management 3, no. 6 (2007); J. Bronson et al., “Drug Use, Dependence, and Abuse Among State Prisoners and Jail Inmates, 2007-2009,” Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2017; J. Rich et al., “Attitudes and Practices Regarding the Use of Methadone in US State and Federal Prisons,” Journal of Urban Health 82, no. 3 (2005): 411–19.
  4. SAMHSA. Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) in the Criminal Justice System: Brief Guidance to the States. https://store.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/d7/priv/pep19-matbriefcjs_0.pdf.  Accessed Sep 1, 2021.
  5. SAMHSA. Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT). https://www.samhsa.gov/medication-assisted-treatment. Accessed Sept 16, 2021.
  6. U.S. Department of Health and Human (HHS), Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (SAMHSA). Medication-Assisted Treatment for Opioid Addiction. HHS Publication No. (SMA) 09-4443, First printed 2009. Revised 2011.
  7. SAMHSA. Medications for Opioid Use Disorder. Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) Series 63 Publication No. PEP21-02-01-002. Rockville, MD.                
  8. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health. Drugs, Brains, and Behavior: The Science of Addiction. HHS Publication No. (SMA) 18-5063PT5, Printed 2018.