City Council resolution supports road to recovery

During this week’s Council meeting, the Council adopted a resolution in support of SD.1709, An Act Relative to Medication Assisted Recovery and Care, and supported legislative efforts to implement new strategies to address the ongoing opioid epidemic.

Medication assisted treatment, recovery, and care for opioid use disorder has been shown to reduce illicit opioid use, criminal activity, and opioid overdose death. Medication assisted recovery for opioid use disorders are regulated at the federal level by the Substance Use and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA).

States may adopt regulations that fit within SAMHSA’s guidelines. Massachusetts guidelines related to medication assisted recovery are far stricter than the federal guidelines, and The Medication Assisted Recovery and Care (MARC) Act allows the Commonwealth to follow more flexible federal guidelines.

The 2019 Harm Reduction Commission Report and 2015 Opioid Working Group Report support increasing medication assisted recovery policies and guidelines. Increasing capacity guidelines for long-term outpatient treatment using medications as well as incorporating their use into the correctional health system, can be a life-saving intervention.