A. SUMMARY This dataset includes data on a variety of substance use services funded by the San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH). This dataset only includes Drug MediCal-certified residential treatment, withdrawal management, and methadone treatment. Other private non-Drug Medi-Cal treatment providers may operate in the city. Withdrawal management discharges are inclusive of anyone who left withdrawal management after admission and may include someone who left before completing withdrawal management.

This dataset also includes naloxone distribution from the SFDPH Behavioral Health Services Naloxone Clearinghouse and the SFDPH-funded Drug Overdose Prevention and Education program. Both programs distribute naloxone to various community-based organizations who then distribute naloxone to their program participants. Programs may also receive naloxone from other sources. Data from these other sources is not included in this dataset.

Finally, this dataset includes the number of clients on medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD).

The number of people who were treated with methadone at a Drug Medi-Cal certified Opioid Treatment Program (OTP) by year is populated by the San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) Behavioral Health Services Quality Management (BHSQM) program. OTPs in San Francisco are required to submit patient billing data in an electronic medical record system called Avatar. BHSQM calculates the number of people who received methadone annually based on Avatar data. Data only from Drug MediCal certified OTPs were included in this dataset.

The number of people who receive buprenorphine by year is populated from the Controlled Substance Utilization Review and Evaluation System (CURES), administered by the California Department of Justice. All licensed prescribers in California are required to document controlled substance prescriptions in CURES. The Center on Substance Use and Health calculates the total number of people who received a buprenorphine prescription annually based on CURES data. Formulations of buprenorphine that are prescribed only for pain management are excluded.

People may receive buprenorphine and methadone in the same year, so you cannot add the Buprenorphine Clients by Year, and Methadone Clients by Year data together to get the total number of unique people receiving medications for opioid use disorder.

For more information on where to find treatment in San Francisco, visit findtreatment-sf.org. 

B. HOW THE DATASET IS CREATED This dataset is created by copying the data into this dataset from the SFDPH Behavioral Health Services Quality Management Program, the California Controlled Substance Utilization Review and Evaluation System (CURES), and the Office of Overdose Prevention.

C. UPDATE PROCESS Residential Substance Use Treatment, Withdrawal Management, Methadone, and Naloxone data are updated quarterly with a 45-day delay. Buprenorphine data are updated quarterly and when the state makes this data available, usually at a 5-month delay.

D. HOW TO USE THIS DATASET Throughout the year this dataset may include partial year data for methadone and buprenorphine treatment. As both methadone and buprenorphine are used as long-term treatments for opioid use disorder, many people on treatment at the end of one calendar year will continue into the next. For this reason, doubling (methadone), or quadrupling (buprenorphine) partial year data will not accurately project year-end totals.

E. RELATED DATASETS Overdose-Related 911 Responses by Emergency Medical Services Unintentional Overdose Death Rates by Race/Ethnicity Preliminary Unintentional Drug Overdose Deaths