CODAC Launches Mobile Unit to Facilitate Medication-Assisted Treatment

CODAC Behavioral Healthcare, a not-for-profit provider of outpatient opioid treatment in Rhode Island, announced on Monday that it has launched a mobile medical unit to dispense methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone for opioid use disorder (OUD).

The unit is the first in the nation to be approved under new Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) regulations that went into effect on July 28, 2021.

Supported by a grant from the Champlin Foundation, CODAC’s 27-foot mobile unit includes a dispensary/treatment room, counseling room, waiting area, restroom, and security system. The unit is scheduled to begin providing medication-assisted treatment, including counseling, to patients in Woonsocket, Rhode Island. Services will be offered during mornings 6 days per week, with a medical doctor present on alternating days. Counseling services will be facilitated via telehealth.

“Access to care is more important than ever amid our soaring overdose rates,” Linda Hurley, CODAC president and CEO, said in a news release. “This mobile medical unit will allow us to face that challenge, both geographically and demographically. It will allow us to bring treatment to individuals struggling with addiction and literally meet them where they are—in the places where that treatment is most needed.”

Founded in 1971, CODAC operates 8 facilities in Rhode Island, providing outpatient treatment for opioid use disorder, other substance use disorders, and concurrent behavioral health challenges.

Reference

CODAC announces mobile medical unit able to dispense methadone as part of full MAT. News release. CODAC Behavioral Healthcare. July 18, 2022. Accessed July 18, 2022.