News & Updates — FORE Announcements

FORE has awarded a grant of $917,027 to Yale University to establish the National Methadone Access and Quality Commission (NMAQC), a new national initiative focused on improving access to methadone, an evidence-based treatment for people with opioid use disorder (OUD).

The Commission, chaired by David Fiellin, MD, Director of the Yale Program in Addiction Medicine and Professor of Medicine, Emergency Medicine, and Public Health at the Yale Schools of Medicine and Public Health, brings together leading experts from addiction medicine, public health, policy, and health care delivery, as well as individuals with lived experience of methadone treatment for OUD, to inform policy and clinical practice change and increase public understanding of methadone treatment.

Research suggests that currently only 1 in 5 individuals who could benefit from medication treatment for OUD receive it. One of those medications is methadone, a long-standing, evidence-based treatment that has been used for decades and is particularly effective in treating fentanyl-related addiction.

Despite the strong evidence base, access to methadone has been limited by stigma, the regulatory complexities of dispensing it, and differing perspectives on best practices for monitoring its use.

“The opioid crisis demands that we look honestly at what works — and how to make effective treatment more accessible,” said Karen A. Scott, MD, MPH, President of the Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts. “While there is persistent stigma surrounding methadone, it remains a proven, evidence-based treatment for opioid use disorder. FORE is pleased to convene the National Methadone Access and Quality Commission, which will bring together diverse experts and voices with a shared goal of advancing high-quality, patient-centered, life-saving care.”

The Commission will examine key issues related to methadone access and quality, including:

• Patient experiences of methadone treatment
• Regulatory and policy barriers that inhibit access
• Opportunities to enhance clinical practice standards and workforce development
• Impacts of financing and reimbursement models
• Innovations in treatment delivery models
• Public health impacts

“The goal of the Commission is not to promote a single viewpoint, but to elevate evidence, improve quality, and ensure that people who need care can access it,” said Dr. Fiellin. “By bringing together clinical, policy, and lived-experience perspectives, we aim to help expand access to methadone treatment, improve the patient experience, and help reduce preventable overdose deaths.”

The National Methadone Access and Quality Commission includes the following members:

• David Fiellin, MD (Commission Chair), Director of the Yale Program in Addiction Medicine and Professor of Medicine, Emergency Medicine, and Public Health at the Yale Schools of Medicine and Public Health
• Malik Burnett, MD, MBA, MPH, Assistant Professor in Addiction Medicine at the University of Maryland Midtown Campus and Consultant for the Maryland Addiction Consultation Service
• Denise Curry, MPA, JD, Compliance and Drug Policy Expert and former Diversion Investigator with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
• Bridget Dooling, JD, Assistant Professor of Law at Moritz College of Law, The Ohio State University
• Lucas Hill, PharmD, Associate Professor of Pharmacy and Therapeutics and Executive Director of the Program Evaluation and Research Unit (PERU) at the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy
• Dominic Hodgkin, PhD, Professor of Health Economics, Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University
• Ayana Jordan, MD, PhD, Barbara Wilson Professor of Psychiatry and Professor of Population Health at New York University Grossman School of Medicine
• Anita Kennedy, Certified Recovery Peer Advocate and Peer Engagement Specialist at Mount Sinai Beth Israel
• Michelle Lofwall, MD, Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science and Bell Alcohol and Addictions Endowed Chair at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine
• Dennis McCarty, PhD, Professor in the Department of Public Health & Preventive Medicine at Oregon Health & Science University
• Beth Meyerson, MDiv, PhD, Beverly Benson McCord Endowed Chair of Nursing, Professor of Nursing and Family and Community Medicine, and Policy Director for the Comprehensive Center for Pain and Addiction at the University of Arizona
• Robert Sherrick, MD, Internist board certified in addiction medicine and Chief Science Officer for Community Medical Services
• Kenneth Stoller, MD, Professor of Clinical Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
• Zac Talbott, LADC, LMSW, Licensed Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselor (LADAC), Tennessee Qualified Clinical Supervisor (QCS), licensed social worker, and President of Talbott Legacy Centers

The Commission held its first in-person meeting in January 2026 in New York City and will continue convening over the next few years to develop recommendations that can inform national policy, health system practice, and public understanding.