Expanding buprenorphine in U.S. jails: One county's response to addressing the fears of diversion

Introduction: The overdose crisis continues to be a major public health emergency in the United States. While effective medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD), such as buprenorphine, have ample scientific evidence to their effectiveness, they are underutilized in the United States and particularly in criminal justice settings. One rationale against the expansion of MOUD in carceral settings cited by jail, prison, and even Drug Enforcement Administration leaders is the potential for diversion of these medications. However, currently little data exist to support this claim. Instead, successful examples from early expansion states could help to change attitudes and calm misconceptions around diversion fears. Results: In this commentary, we discuss the experience of one county jail that successfully expanded buprenorphine treatment and did not suffer significant impacts related to diversion. Instead, the jail found that their holistic and compassionate approach to buprenorphine treatment improved conditions both for incarcerated individuals and jail staff. Conclusion: Amid a changing policy landscape and a federal commitment to increase access to effective treatments in criminal justice settings, lessons can be learned from jails and prisons that have already or are working toward expansion of MOUD in their facilities. Ideally, these anecdotal examples, in addition to data, will help to encourage more facilities to incorporate buprenorphine into their opioid use disorder treatment strategies.