STAT

Nearly all doctors can freely prescribe opioids. Now a new movement aims to vastly deregulate an addiction treatment

Nearly all doctors can freely prescribe opioids. Now, a group of doctors, public health officials, and a member of Congress are pushing to treat one addiction-treatment medication the same way
Buprenorphine is used to lessen opioid cravings and withdrawal symptoms.

WASHINGTON — Eighteen state public health directors, a growing group of physicians, and a prominent member of Congress are pushing a dramatic expansion of substance use treatment by posing a simple question: Why can’t doctors who prescribe opioids also prescribe drugs to treat opioid addiction?

Their push to deregulate use of buprenorphine, which is used to lessen opioid cravings and withdrawal symptoms, would represent a fundamental shift in U.S. addiction treatment. The medication — and addiction medicine in general — are highly regulated, largely due to fears that opioid-based treatment drugs like buprenorphine and methadone could be misused.

This week, the effort will gain support from Washington: Rep. Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.) will soon introduce legislation to allow any medical, he told STAT. Currently, physicians must undergo an eight-hour training to prescribe the drug — 24 hours for nurse practitioners and physician assistants.

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from STAT

STAT1 min read
STAT+: IVF Doctors Demand Full Details On Fluid That Grows Embryos Amid CooperSurgical Lawsuits
Patients from all over the country are filing lawsuits against medical supply giant CooperSurgical, alleging that fluid the company sent to in vitro fertilization clinics destroyed their embryos. The fluid, called culture media, is filled with nutrie
STAT1 min read
Disparities In Donor Acceptance Rates Point To Need For More Equitable Heart Transplant Care
While access to donor hearts has increased, there are still gender- and race-based disparities in the acceptance rate of a donor heart offer by transplant teams, a new study finds.
STAT1 min read
STAT+: AstraZeneca Sues Arkansas Over The Role Of Pharmacies In A Federal Discount Drug Program
AstraZeneca filed a lawsuit seeking to block an Arkansas law that requires the company to ship its medicines to any pharmacy working with hospitals participating in a federal discount program.

Related Books & Audiobooks