NIH study tests a comprehensive model intervention to reduce opioid overdose deaths in hard-hit communities COVID-19 brings challenges, learning opportunities.

National Institutes of Health and other federal leaders outlined their vision for a groundbreaking study that will aim to address gaps in reaching communities most heavily affected by the opioid epidemic with proven, evidence-based interventions for opioid use disorder (OUD). This approach is detailed in a paper published in a special issue of Drug and Alcohol Dependence, and also describes the early impact of COVID-19 on its goals, and the potential for uncovering insights at the intersection of COVID-19 and the opioid epidemic.