Medication for Opioid Disorder (MOUD) Toolkit

Access to medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) is a protected right. MOUD—also called “addiction medication,” “medication assisted treatment” (MAT), and “medication assisted recovery” (MAR)—is a critical tool for treating opioid use disorder (OUD) and managing withdrawal symptoms. Buprenorphine, methadone, and naloxone are the three most common MOUDs.  

This litigation guide details how access to MOUD is protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Rehabilitation Act, Fair Housing Act (FHA), Eighth Amendment and Fourteenth Amendment, and state tort laws (medical malpractice, informed consent, common law negligence, and breach of contract). These rights and statutes protect the right to access MOUD in medical and carceral settings, and protect against discrimination on the basis of MOUD use in employment, rehab/detox, housing contexts. 

The guide also provides a detailed overview of the science of OUD, and contains a database of many MOUD access cases and related legal filings that can be used as templates in litigation. If you notice that a MOUD access case is missing from our database, please contact us at MOUD_Toolkit@justicecatalyst.org.