Ideal Option Report: 96% of Long-Term Patients Abstinent in North Dakota Amid Rising Overdose Deaths

Ideal Option, a national provider of outpatient medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for addiction, has released its 2025 Annual Outcomes Report for North Dakota patients. The report aggregates data from over 450 patients, detailing treatment stages, medication adherence, and substance use trends.

The findings come as North Dakota faces a worsening overdose crisis, diverging from national trends. While U.S. overdose deaths decreased nearly 14% nationwide in 2025 according to the CDC, North Dakota was among a few states that saw an increase. In Fargo, police recorded 169 overdoses in 2025, the highest in over five years, with 29 resulting in fatalities.

The report highlights the success of office-based MAT, with 96% of patients in long-term recovery achieving sustained opioid abstinence. For North Dakota patients progressing through treatment in 2025, the report indicated a 99% reduction in fentanyl use and a 71% reduction in methamphetamine use.

"North Dakota is defying the national trend in the wrong direction, and that's exactly why office-based treatment needs to be part of the response," said Tim Kilgallon, CEO of Ideal Option. "This report shows that when patients have consistent access to evidence-based, medication-assisted treatment, recovery is not only possible—it is measurable and sustained."

Ideal Option also partners with correctional facilities in North Dakota to support justice-involved individuals with substance use disorder. In 2025, jail referrals accounted for 8% of new patients entering the program, facilitating continuity of care post-incarceration.