Methadone saves lives. Why does the system make it hard to get?
Oct. 2, 2026 – More than 44,000 people died from opioid overdoses in the United States in 2025. Despite recent declines in overdose deaths, the country remains in crisis. Paradoxically, only a tiny fraction of people trying to access treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD) have access to methadone, the gold standard medication approved to treat addiction.
