The PERU Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) Program is dedicated to meaningful research through the facilitation of projects aimed at expanding access to medication-assisted treatment and improving referral pathways to psychosocial treatment and support services for individuals with substance use disorders. The MAT Program provides real-time quality improvement support to primary care practices, specialty treatment providers, and care management teams to drive the successful implementation of Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) and MAT within recruited sites. Through these projects, the MAT Program Team also conducts training, evaluation, and technical assistance efforts to ensure sustained fidelity of SBIRT and MAT initiatives.

Current Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) Projects

COMMIT Project

The COMMIT Project will increase patient access to MAT and addiction specialty services by implementing a Hub and Spoke Model of MAT and providing all agencies involved in the COMMIT Program in Washington County, Pennsylvania with the knowledge, skills, and tools to provide the highest quality MAT and opioid use disorder treatment services for all patients who suffer from opioid use disorder.

Funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) since 2018, the Commonwealth Opioid Medical MAT Integration and Training (COMMIT) Project is a collaborative effort between PERU and the Washington Drug and Alcohol Commission to implement Screening, Brief-Intervention, and Referral to Treatment and a Hub and Spoke model of medication-assisted treatment (MAT) into primary care practices in Washington County, Pennsylvania. Funded for three years, COMMIT aims to improve access to high quality care for patients with opioid use disorder (OUD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD), increase the number of healthcare providers trained in the identification, assessment, treatment, and management of patients with OUD and AUD using evidence-based practices, and provide comprehensive implementation and treatment support to all providers through:
  • Personalized training for providers and staff;
  • Concierge technical assistance to support implementation and quality improvement;
  • Case management services; and
  • Clinical support from experts in addiction, MAT, and pain management.
To learn more, please visit commit.pharmacy.pitt.edu.

Project RAMP

Project RAMP will increase patient access to medication-assisted treatment and addiction specialty services by providing primary care physicians in rural Pennsylvania with the knowledge, skills, tools, and support to provide the highest quality MAT services to their patients who suffer from opioid use disorder.

Funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) since 2016, the Rural Access to MAT in Pennsylvania (RAMP) Project provides MAT training and implementation support to 24 primary care practices across 23 rural Pennsylvania Counties. Funded for four years, the project will double the number of providers trained to perform MAT in rural Pennsylvania and significantly increase access to high-quality treatment for opioid use disorder. Project RAMP’s goals are to improve access to opioid use disorder treatment in rural Pennsylvania by facilitating partnerships between local and county-level treatment providers as well as integrate MAT into primary care practices. To learn more, please visit https://ramp.pitt.edu.

SUPPORT Project

Funded by the Human Resources and Services Administration since 2019, the Substance Use Prevention and Promotion of Overdose Reduction and Treatment (SUPPORT) Project is a collaborative effort between PERU, Cornerstone Care Community Health Centers, the Greene County Department of Human Services, and Beacon Health Options. Together, this consortium is working to support and enhance the evidence-based substance use disorder prevention, treatment, and recovery efforts in Greene County, Pennsylvania. The program will focus on:
  • Providing training and education for treatment/service providers, first responders, patients, and community members;
  • Integrating identification and treatment of substance use disorders; enhancing recovery support services and support groups;
  • Identifying sustainable funding for services and treatment;
  • Improving care coordination among first responders, treatment/service providers, and patients; and
  • Initiating quality improvement strategies to improve prevention, treatment, and recovery efforts.

PA Studies MAT Project

Funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration since 2018, the University of Pittsburgh Physician Assistant Studies MAT Integration Project (PA Studies MAT) is a collaborative effort between PERU and the University of Pittsburgh’s Physician Assistant Studies Program. Together, they are working to integrate SBIRT and MAT education and DATA 2000 waiver training into the PA Studies Program Curriculum and develop supportive resources and tools for the students. Funded for three years, the program will graduate 168 Physician Assistants waivered and prepared to treat opioid use disorder wherever they choose to practice. The overall goals of the program are to improve access to opioid use disorder care and create a culture change through comprehensive education of new cohorts of physician assistants.

UPSoM MAT Project

Funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration since 2019, the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine MAT Integration Project (UPSoM-MAT) is a collaborative effort between PERU and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine (UPSoM) Medical Doctor (MD) Program. Together, they are working to integrate SBIRT and MAT education and DATA 2000 waiver training into the UPSoM MD Program Curriculum and develop supportive resources and tools for the students. Funded for three years, the program will graduate 280 MD students waivered and ready to treat opioid use disorder wherever they choose to practice. The overall goals of the program are to improve access to opioid use disorder care and create a culture change through comprehensive education of new cohorts of medical students.

UC-MAT Project

Funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration since 2019, the Ursuline College MAT Integration Project (UC-MAT) is a collaborative effort between PERU and the Ursuline College (UC) Breen School of Nursing. Together, they are working to integrate SBIRT and MAT education and DATA 2000 waiver training into the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) Program Curricula and develop supportive resources and tools for the students. Funded for three years, the program will graduate 230 MSN/PMHNP students waivered and ready to treat opioid use disorder wherever they choose to practice. The overall goals of the program are to improve access to opioid use disorder care and create a culture change through comprehensive education of new cohorts of MSN/PMHNP students.

 

Previous Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) Projects

Evaluating the Impact of Sample Medication on Subsequent Patient Adherence

Funded by MedVantx, Inc. and UPMC Health Plan, this project evaluated whether providing patients a free 30-day generic sample of their prescribed medication dispensed via a kiosk at the point-of-care, typically a primary care provider office, had a measurable impact on patient medication adherence and healthcare costs.

ECO-PHIL

Funded by Merck & Co., Inc., this randomized controlled trial evaluated the effect of adherence interventions on patients’ medication adherence to dyslipidemia and anti-diabetes medications.

AHEC CHW Opioid Module Project

Funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) since 2018, the Area Health Education Centers Community Health Worker Opioid Module Project (AHEC CHW Project) provides a comprehensive in-person and online opioid training module to community health worker trainees across Pennsylvania. This project is a collaboration between the East Central Pennsylvania Area Health Education Center, the Penn State College of Medicine, and the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. The project aims to educate and empower community health workers to assist clients with opioid use disorder, promote evidence-based treatment modalities, including medication-assisted treatment, and prevent overdose.