Ideal Option Releases Annual Report Showing Success in Montana Amid Opioid Crisis
News related to:Ideal Option · 2 min read
Ideal Option, a national leader in outpatient medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for addiction to opioids, stimulants, and other substances, has released its 2025 Annual Outcomes Report for Montana patients. The report highlights the success of office-based MAT, showing that 97% of long-term patients achieved sustained abstinence from opioids and stimulants. This comes amid a volatile phase in Montana's drug crisis, where fentanyl seizures have fallen by 70%, but fentanyl-linked fatal overdoses have risen by 34%.
According to the Montana Department of Justice, fentanyl seizures by statewide task forces decreased significantly from 2025 to 2024, marking the steepest decline in recent years. However, fentanyl-linked fatal overdoses increased, rising from 55 deaths in 2024 to 74 in 2025. Harm-reduction workers and researchers note that the drug supply has become more dangerous, with sedatives like xylazine and medetomidine increasingly appearing alongside fentanyl and resisting reversal with naloxone.
Tim Kilgallon, CEO of Ideal Option, emphasized the importance of office-based treatment in the face of a changing drug supply.
The report also highlights the success of Ideal Option's partnership with correctional facilities to provide care to justice-involved individuals with substance use disorder. In 2025, the organization received 34 direct referrals from two correctional facilities in Montana, supporting continuity of care for individuals upon release.
Key findings in the report include a 99% reduction in fentanyl use and an 82% reduction in methamphetamine use among Montana patients progressing from treatment initiation to maintenance in 2025. Ideal Option has helped more than 100,000 patients through a network of over 80 outpatient clinics across 9 states: Alaska, Arkansas, Idaho, Maryland, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, and Washington.
Since 2019, Ideal Option has been committed to serving underserved communities, accepting all forms of insurance, including Medicaid and Medicare. The company also offers financial assistance and payment plans to make treatment accessible to those in need.
Ideal Option's holistic approach, which includes medical providers with certifications in addiction and emergency medicine, internal and family medicine, and social workers, case workers, counselors, and mental health practitioners, has driven positive outcomes, including family stability, stable housing, improved overall health, and reduced rates of recidivism.
The organization continues to collaborate with existing stakeholders and providers to improve the continuum of care. This includes partnerships with emergency rooms and county jail systems, where individuals with substance use disorder often appear, as well as collaborating with numerous support agencies and municipal programs addressing social needs such as housing, mental health, and nutrition support.