CHILLICOTHE, Ohio (WSYX) — The Ohio Department of Behavioral Health and community partners have introduced the state’s first Mobile Medication Units (MMUs) to deliver opioid addiction treatment to underserved rural areas.
Although overdose deaths in Ohio are declining, 4,452 people died from overdoses in 2023, with rural areas seeing the highest rates. To address this, the state partnered with Anchor Addiction and Wellness Center and the Paint Valley Alcohol, Drug Addiction, and Mental Health Board to bring treatment to seven underserved rural counties.
Jordan Knipper, State Opioid Treatment Administrator, said:
“Here in Ohio, we do have the third highest number of opioid treatment programs in the country. However, significant geographic regions, especially in southeast Ohio, have very limited or no access to these programs.”
Of Ohio’s 88 counties, 51 are classified as rural or underserved, but they host only 32 of the state’s 129 opioid treatment providers. The MMUs are designed to bring services directly to these areas, aiming to reduce overdose deaths to levels seen in urban regions.
Each mobile unit will be staffed with nurses, doctors able to administer addiction medications, security personnel, and a driver. Anchor Addiction and Wellness Center President James Leman described the units as a “treatment clinic on wheels,” highlighting their potential impact on rural communities.
The mobile clinics will follow a fixed route, which can be adjusted to reach locations with the least access to treatment services. Costs are expected to be similar to traditional brick-and-mortar facilities.
The MMUs are projected to treat around 200 rural residents in their first year of operation.
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