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New Practice Guidelines Expand Buprenorphine Prescribing
T
he U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) recently released Practice Guidelines for the Administration of Buprenorphine for Treating Opioid Use Disorder to address the increase in overdose deaths and to expand access to evidence-based treatments in ambulatory settings by removing potential opioid use disorder treatment barriers. The Guidelines are a step towards increasing the number of buprenorphine prescribers in rural and underserved areas. Prior to 2000, medication-assisted treatment (“MAT”) was available only through federally approved opioid treatment programs, and buprenorphine was not yet approved by the FDA for opioid use disorder treatment. Since enactment of the Drug Addiction and Treatment Act of 2000, physicians outside an opioid treatment program have been able to apply for a Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) X-waiver to prescribe and/or dispense Schedule III, IV, or V medications approved by the FDA for treatment of opioid dependency. Application for the X-waiver has historically required that physicians complete an 8-hour training course and certify their capacity to make counseling and ancillary services available to patients. Over the past 20 years,
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