Treating Opioid Use Disorder With Methadone in Pharmacies

What is the estimated return on investment for a pharmacy-based medication unit or for medical professional–prescribed and pharmacist-dispensed methadone?In this economic evaluation, the pharmacy-based medication unit model returned $3.53 per $1.00 spent and a net profit of $96 904 over 3 years. The pharmacist-dispensed methadone model returned $2.64 per $1.00 spent and a net profit of $23 844 over 3 years.The findings of this study suggest that expanding access to methadone for opioid use disorder through a pharmacy-based model is financially viable for pharmacies.

Corresponding Author: Cynthia A. Tschampl, PhD, The Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Brandeis University, 415 South St, MS035, Waltham, MA 02453 (tschampl@brandeis.edu).

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