Testing in the Nation's Opioid Treatment Programs, 2005–2011: The Role of State Regulations

Objective

To identify the extent to which clients in a national sample of opioid treatment programs (s) received testing in 2005 and 2011; to examine relationships between state laws for informed consent and pretest counseling and rates of testing among clients.

Data Source

Data were collected from a nationally representative sample of s in 2005 ( = 171) and 2011 ( = 200).

Study Design

Random‐effects logit and interval regression analyses were used to examine changes in testing rates and the relationship of state laws to testing among s.

Data Collection

Data on provision of testing were collected in phone surveys from managers; data also were collected on state laws for testing.

Principal Findings

The percentage of s offering testing decreased significantly from 93 percent in 2005 to 64 percent in 2011. Similarly, the percentage of clients tested decreased from an average of 41 percent in 2005 to 17 percent in 2011. s located in states whose laws do not require pretest counseling and that use opt‐out consent were more likely to provide testing and to test higher percentages of clients.

Conclusions

The results show the need to increase testing among clients; the results also underscore the beneficial possibilities of dropping pretest counseling as a requirement for testing and of using the opt‐out approach to informed consent for testing.