University of Cincinnati students aim to expand methadone access in Ohio

CINCINNATI, Ohio — College students at the University of Cincinnati are taking their fight against the opioid crisis to a national stage, presenting a proposal to expand methadone access in Ohio.

Dubbed the Policy Challenge Super Bowl, the competition invites students from across the country to pitch real-world solutions to pressing policy issues. UC students earned a spot by proposing the "Remote Methadone Monitoring Pilot Program," aimed at reducing barriers to treatment for people with opioid use disorder.

“Everything down to the details is very thorough, and we think it’s very doable for Ohio,” said Yara Chaouali, a nursing student. “We think that Ohio has a responsibility to help these people become functioning members of society.”

In 2024, Ohio reported 815 patients per 100,000 diagnosed with opioid use disorder, according to nonprofit FAIR Health, higher than the national average. Chaouali and her team hope to ease access to treatment by allowing eligible patients to receive up to 28 days of take-home methadone through a secure virtual system called Sonara.

Patients would log doses remotely, reducing daily clinic visits and the travel or interruptions that often interfere with care. The two-year pilot is projected to cost roughly $750,000 per year, largely funded by the OneOhio Recovery Foundation.

The team is interdisciplinary, including students from nursing, criminal justice, psychology and political science, each addressing a different component of the opioid crisis. Selma Younes, a criminal justice student, emphasized the focus on treatment rather than punishment.

“We want to make sure that people who have opioid use disorder are not being punished for that,” Younes said. “We want to make sure that they are being treated as patients with an illness, just as anyone else would.”

The proposal builds on Ohio House Bill 300, which aimed to expand methadone access but did not pass last session. State Representative and UC nursing professor Rachel Baker (D-District 27) highlighted the plan as an innovative model for health care delivery statewide.

“How can we think more innovatively about new ways to deliver health care?” Baker said. “As our workforce gets smaller, we have a decrease in funding and access issues throughout the state.”

After winning UC’s Health Policy Challenge, the students will present at the Policy Challenge Super Bowl at the University of Chicago on Feb. 16. Chaouali hopes the national spotlight will raise awareness about treatment and recovery.

“Even though we’re just students, we’re here trying to make sure that you guys get the awareness that you deserve,” she said.