Table 1.
Mobile medication unit research
| Author, Year | Design N | Setting | Intervention | Main Findings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greenfield 1996 (Greenfield et al., 1996) | Retrospective cohort analysis N=1,063 | Mobile van vs fixed site OTPs Baltimore | Compared individuals receiving mobile methadone (n=339) vs. OTP admissions from the same zip code (n-664) and OTP admissions living in different zip codes (n=924) | The mobile service had better mean retention (15.5 months) compared to patients from the same zip codes (3.9 months) or different zip codes (6.3 months). Early discharge was associated with higher lifetime arrests, more frequent cocaine use and less family income. Analyses did not control for other patient characteristics. |
| Hall 2014 (Hall et al., 2014) | Retrospective analysis of individuals enrolled in the NJ-MATI N=6,603, 6 OTPs | 6 OTPs and methadone vans in New Jersey. Mobile Medication Units dispensed methadone and buprenorphine at two stops per day six days per week. Patients received counseling at the fixed site OTP. | Compared two groups: 1) patients in six standard OTP (n=2,259); 2) patients with mobile methadone from those same providers (n=2,017) | Individuals receiving methadone from the van were more likely than those treated in an OTP to be men (63% vs. 59%), African-American (43% vs. 24%), older than 35 years (76% vs. 62%), PWID (73% vs. 52%), and uninsured (75% vs. 48%). Multinomial logistic regression suggested NJ-MATI participants were more likely to be older, African American (OR 2.7) or Latino (OR 1.8), with less social capital (OR 0.7), and more likely to be homeless (OR 2.8), and uninsured (OR 3.1) than individuals served in OTPs |
| Chen 2009 (Chen et al., 2009) | Retrospective cohort analysis N=231 | Methadone van San Francisco and a TC. TCs are residential SUD treatment services. Historically, residents have not been allowed to be on methadone. In a novel collaboration, a van stopped daily and dispensed methadone to TC residents. | TC patients receiving methadone (n = 125) vs TC patients not receiving methadone (n = 106) | Both groups had similar retention rates. Illustrates a unique use of mobile services but does not speak to the operation of the service or the patients served. |
| Kuo 2003 (Kuo et al., 2003) | Prospective cohort of syringe exchange customers referred to a mobile LAAM program N = 114 | Service based on Baltimore’s methadone van; the van stopped at a syringe exchange to provide LAAM three days per week. The study tested a low-threshold drug treatment strategy. | Individuals using a syringe exchange (n=163) were referred to the service. 114 (70%) received LAAM. 96 (84% of those who initiated LAAM) completed a baseline and 30- day ASI and 82 (72% of those who initiated LAAM) completed a 90- day follow-up interview. | At the 30-day ASI, there were significant reductions in ASI Drug, Alcohol and Legal composite scores. At the 90-day interview, positive urine screens declined from 86% to 59% for heroin and from 89% to 69% for cocaine. Study documented feasibility of recruiting and retaining individuals from syringe exchange services. At baseline, Nearly two-thirds had no prior OTP treatment. |
Abbreviations: LAAM = levomethadyl acetate hydrochloride; NIDA = National Institute on Drug Abuse; NJ-MATI = New Jersey Medication Assisted Treatment Initiative; NR = not reported; OR = odds ratio; OTP = opioid treatment program; PWID = people who inject drugs; TC = therapeutic community;