Expanded buprenorphine prescribing privileges: Sandbagging in the midst of the flood?

The U.S. recently enacted several policy changes regarding prescribing authority to increase access to medication-assisted therapy (MAT). Spurred by findings that only 10% of the 21 million Americans with opioid use disorders (OUD) receive treatment,1 one change raised the ceiling on the number of patients physicians can manage on buprenorphine from 100 to 275 (June 2016). Then in November 2016, rules surrounding Drug Addiction Treatment Act of 2000 (DATA 2000) waivers were extended to nurse practitioners (NPs) and physicians assistants (PAs) granting them MAT prescribing authority.
Source: Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy - Category: Pharmaceuticals Authors: Source Type: research