Using Routinely Collected Data From the Network of Alcohol and Other Drugs Agencies Database to Evaluate the Impact of COVID ‐19 Lockdowns on Trends in Service Delivery in Outpatient Non‐Government Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment Services

Key Points

• This research aims to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 lockdowns on outpatient alcohol and other drug (AOD) treatment services.
• Analyzed data from the Network of Alcohol and Other Drugs Agencies Database.
• Examined trends in outpatient treatment episodes before and during lockdowns.
• Assessed rates of unplanned dropout from treatment services.
• No adverse impact on the number of outpatient treatment episodes delivered was observed.
• Likelihood of unplanned dropout remained stable during lockdowns.
• Telehealth played a significant role in maintaining service delivery during the pandemic.

Abstract