Obama Administration Eases Restrictions On Doctors Who Treat Opioid Addiction

[Little Star]

Source: NPR

The Obama administration is making it easier for people addicted to opioids to get treatment.

Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell announced new rules Wednesday to loosen restrictions on doctors who treat people addicted to heroin and opioid painkillers with the medication buprenorphine.

Doctors who are licensed to prescribe the drug, which is sold mostly under the brand name Suboxone, will be allowed to treat as many as 275 patients a year. That's almost triple the current limit of 100, and HHS estimated that as many 70,000 more people may have access to the drug as a result.

"There are a number of ways we are trying to increase access to medication assisted treatment," said Michael Botticelli, the director of national drug control policy, on a conference call with reporters. "This rule itself expands access and gets more physicians to reach more patients."


Read more: http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/07/06/484843560/obama-administration-eases-restrictions-on-doctors-who-treat-opioid-addiction

[Freddie]

1. That's great news

My son was in a suboxone treatment program and it helped him stay clean for quite a while. Unfortunately our insurance would only pay for the prescription ($$$) for 6 months so the doctor tapered him off suboxone. Mistake. This medicine should be prescribed like an antidepressant-- stay on indefinitely if needed.
Luckily we persuaded him to go to inpatient rehab and he's doing great, clean now 5 months, working FT and living in sober housing and getting OP treatment.