The number of opioid treatment programs in the United States increased by 39 percent from 2003 to 2016, according to figures in a new report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Over the same period, the number of people accessing medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder increased sharply.

In 2003, there were 1,067 opioid treatment programs, or OTPs, reporting to SAMHSA’s National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services. The number rose to 1,482 by the end of 2016. The number of clients receiving methadone in those facilities increased from 227,000 to more than 356,000 through 2015, the latest year with numbers of clients.

Other options for medication-assisted treatment have also seen increased use. The number of clients receiving buprenorphine in facilities increased from just over 2,000 to more than 76,000 as the treatment became more widely available. At the end of 2016, it was offered in more than half of OTPs, compared to just 11 percent in 2003.

Other findings of the study include an increase in the use of naltrexone in OTPs. Combined with the rising number of independent practitioners authorized to prescribe buprenorphine and naltrexone, the figures published in this study show an increase in the availability of treatment as the nation responds to the opioid crisis.

The report, Trends in the Use of Methadone, Buprenorphine, and Extended-release Naltrexone at Substance Abuse Treatment Facilities 2003-2015, can be found at https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/report_3192/ShortReport-3192.pdf.