From The Fix.
DEA Increases Access to Medication-Assisted Treatment
More qualified medical professionals are now allowed to prescribe buprenorphine, an opioid dependency medication.
A new deregulatory measure will allow nurse practitioners and physician assistants to prescribe and dispense the opioid dependency drug buprenorphine, which will grant increased access to medication-assisted treatment (MAT) in areas of the country where qualified doctors may be in short supply.
The U.S. Department of Justice made the announcement on January 23, which reverses previous regulations that allowed only qualified physicians who had registered with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to administer the drug. The measure waives that requirement in the hopes of increasing treatment options in rural areas, where 53% of counties had no medical professionals qualified to treat opioid dependency with medication.
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