Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Illicit drug use
Funding Rural Health: The Role and Reach of Federal Support
A series of briefs and spotlights focused on how the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) supports population health in rural Kansas and the rural United States. Focuses on FORHP funding processes and organizational structure, distribution of funds, the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program, the Rural Health Care Services Outreach Program, and Rural Communities Opioid Response Program.
Author(s): Shelby C. Rowell, Wyatt J. Beckman, Viktoria Sterkhova
Date: 11/2025
Sponsoring organization: Kansas Health Institute
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A series of briefs and spotlights focused on how the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) supports population health in rural Kansas and the rural United States. Focuses on FORHP funding processes and organizational structure, distribution of funds, the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program, the Rural Health Care Services Outreach Program, and Rural Communities Opioid Response Program.
Author(s): Shelby C. Rowell, Wyatt J. Beckman, Viktoria Sterkhova
Date: 11/2025
Sponsoring organization: Kansas Health Institute
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South Carolina 2025-2030 State Health Improvement Plan
Describes a plan for public health improvement in South Carolina. Identifies priorities, strategies, and metrics for topics including health outcomes, maternal and infant health, and behavioral health. Mentions rural throughout.
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: South Carolina Department of Public Health
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Describes a plan for public health improvement in South Carolina. Identifies priorities, strategies, and metrics for topics including health outcomes, maternal and infant health, and behavioral health. Mentions rural throughout.
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: South Carolina Department of Public Health
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Cost of Implementing Evidence-Based Practices to Reduce Opioid Overdose Fatalities in New York State Communities
Presents a study on the cost of implementing an intervention to deploy opioid education, naloxone distribution, and medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) during the COVID-19 pandemic in rural and urban locations in New York. Evaluates data from two time periods, or waves, from January 2020 to June 2022 and July 2022 to December 2023.
Author(s): Jazmine M. Li, Dawn Gruss, Timothy Hunt, et al.
Citation: Addiction Science & Clinical Practice, 20, 77
Date: 10/2025
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Presents a study on the cost of implementing an intervention to deploy opioid education, naloxone distribution, and medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) during the COVID-19 pandemic in rural and urban locations in New York. Evaluates data from two time periods, or waves, from January 2020 to June 2022 and July 2022 to December 2023.
Author(s): Jazmine M. Li, Dawn Gruss, Timothy Hunt, et al.
Citation: Addiction Science & Clinical Practice, 20, 77
Date: 10/2025
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Examining Trends in Polydrug Overdose Deaths Across Rural Midwest Counties in the United States, 2022 Through 2024
Highlights a study examining the presence of the drug xylazine in postmortem toxicology of drug overdose deaths in rural Minnesota. Breaks down data by county, drugs co-occurring with xylazine, and demographic characteristics of the deceased, among other measures.
Author(s): Bradley R. Ray, Shane Sheets, Patti Constant, et al.
Citation: Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 275, 112832
Date: 10/2025
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Highlights a study examining the presence of the drug xylazine in postmortem toxicology of drug overdose deaths in rural Minnesota. Breaks down data by county, drugs co-occurring with xylazine, and demographic characteristics of the deceased, among other measures.
Author(s): Bradley R. Ray, Shane Sheets, Patti Constant, et al.
Citation: Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 275, 112832
Date: 10/2025
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Implementing a Mobile Clinic for Opioid Use Disorder Treatment in an Urban and Rural Context
Highlights a study on the efficacy of the mobile clinic model at providing opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment in rural and urban areas. Compares and evaluates mobile OUD treatment programs in Pittsburgh, PA and rural Robeson County, NC. Evaluates programs on the basis of community engagement, cost, and partnerships with local pharmacies, among other measures.
Author(s): Orrin D. Ware, Divya Venkat, Robyn Jordan, et al.
Citation: Substance Use & Addiction Journal, 46(4), 799–805
Date: 10/2025
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Highlights a study on the efficacy of the mobile clinic model at providing opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment in rural and urban areas. Compares and evaluates mobile OUD treatment programs in Pittsburgh, PA and rural Robeson County, NC. Evaluates programs on the basis of community engagement, cost, and partnerships with local pharmacies, among other measures.
Author(s): Orrin D. Ware, Divya Venkat, Robyn Jordan, et al.
Citation: Substance Use & Addiction Journal, 46(4), 799–805
Date: 10/2025
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HRSA Rural Communities Opioid Response Program Award Recipients Generally Met All Core Activities and Benchmarks
Examines whether Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP) Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) Expansion award recipients met the five required core activities and three proposed benchmarks between September 2019 and August 2022. Summarizes results of a performance audit of RCORP MAT Expansion award recipients, including site visits to each awardee. Appendix C covers the challenges and barriers award recipients faced while establishing or expanding their MAT programs.
Additional links: Report Highlights
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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Examines whether Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP) Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) Expansion award recipients met the five required core activities and three proposed benchmarks between September 2019 and August 2022. Summarizes results of a performance audit of RCORP MAT Expansion award recipients, including site visits to each awardee. Appendix C covers the challenges and barriers award recipients faced while establishing or expanding their MAT programs.
Additional links: Report Highlights
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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Introducing Public Health Vending Machines in Rural Communities: Protocol for a Study Using a Community-Based Participatory Approach
Provides a study protocol focused on creating a community-engaged approach to implementing public health vending machines (PHVMs) that distribute naloxone in rural North Carolina. Discusses the need to engage people who have experienced substance use when developing public health interventions to prevent drug overdose.
Author(s): Meghan Guter, Lauren Harrell, Kathleen L Egan, Reese Hiatt, Lori Ann Eldridge
Citation: JMIR Research Protocols, 14
Date: 09/2025
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Provides a study protocol focused on creating a community-engaged approach to implementing public health vending machines (PHVMs) that distribute naloxone in rural North Carolina. Discusses the need to engage people who have experienced substance use when developing public health interventions to prevent drug overdose.
Author(s): Meghan Guter, Lauren Harrell, Kathleen L Egan, Reese Hiatt, Lori Ann Eldridge
Citation: JMIR Research Protocols, 14
Date: 09/2025
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Rural Providers' Attitudes Toward Integrating Harm Reduction Strategies and PrEP Prescribing into Rural Primary Care Settings in the US. Southeast and Midwest
Examines the perceptions of providers working in rural primary care settings toward buprenorphine, methadone, comprehensive harm reduction, and PrEP prescriptions. Analyzes 409 providers treating either a person with opioid use disorder or a person with HIV and provides data breakdowns on PrEP prescriptions, medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD), and perceptions toward harm reduction integration.
Author(s): Phillip L. Marotta, Miryam Biaid, Robert Heimer, et al.
Citation: Addiction Science & Clinical Practice, 20, 73
Date: 09/2025
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Examines the perceptions of providers working in rural primary care settings toward buprenorphine, methadone, comprehensive harm reduction, and PrEP prescriptions. Analyzes 409 providers treating either a person with opioid use disorder or a person with HIV and provides data breakdowns on PrEP prescriptions, medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD), and perceptions toward harm reduction integration.
Author(s): Phillip L. Marotta, Miryam Biaid, Robert Heimer, et al.
Citation: Addiction Science & Clinical Practice, 20, 73
Date: 09/2025
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Medications for Opioid Use Disorder among Adults Who Had an Opioid Use Disorder
Offers data on adults receiving medications for opioid use disorder between 2022 and 2024 by age, sex, region, and metropolitan county status.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Offers data on adults receiving medications for opioid use disorder between 2022 and 2024 by age, sex, region, and metropolitan county status.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Marijuana Use or Opioid Misuse in the Past Year
Highlights data on marijuana and opioid use between 2022 and 2024. Includes break down of use for adults and adolescents between 12 and 17 by various demographic and geographic factors including 5 levels of urbanization.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organizations: Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Highlights data on marijuana and opioid use between 2022 and 2024. Includes break down of use for adults and adolescents between 12 and 17 by various demographic and geographic factors including 5 levels of urbanization.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organizations: Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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