USA. Buprenorphine and Methadone Dispensing in New York City.

Tuazon E, Kunins H, Paone D.

New York City, Department of Health and Mental Hygiene: Epi Data Brief (96); November 2017.

Buprenorphine and methadone are opioid agonist medications that are both safe and effective in the treatment of opioid use disorders . Methadone dispensing has been available through certified New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) Opioid Treatment Programs in New York City (NYC) since the late 1970s.

Buprenorphine has been approved for treatment of opioid use disorders since 2002, and is now available by prescription from physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants trained and approved to prescribe it.

In 2016, there were 69 OASAS-certified opioid treatment programs in NYC with a capacity to dispense methadone to approximately 32,000 patients with opioid use disorders.

(...) Most new patients in methadone treatment were Latino and Black or African-American (50% and 20%, respectively). One in three (27%) new patients in methadone treatment were White.

https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/doh/downloads/pdf/epi/databrief96.pdf