The three medications approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat opioid use disorder — methadone, buprenorphine and extended-release naltrexone — are effective and save lives, but most people who could benefit from these treatments do not receive them, according to a report released today by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Barriers to their use include stigma; inadequate professional education and training for treatment providers and criminal justice personnel; distinct treatment systems and financing mechanisms for OUD; regulations such as waiver policies, patient limits, and restrictions on treatment settings; privacy regulations such as 42 CFR Part 2; and regulations that govern public and private insurance coverage, the study committee said. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and National Institute on Drug Abuse sponsored the study.
 

Related News Articles

Headline
Oct. 28 is National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, an opportunity for the public to safely dispose of unwanted or expired tablets, capsules, patches and…
Headline
Federal agencies last month stopped over 500 unapproved pharmaceutical products and medical devices, including opioid and other controlled substances, from…
Headline
As the House Energy and Commerce Committee works to reauthorize key programs within the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and…
Headline
While counseling and other services are an important part of a comprehensive treatment plan for opioid use disorder, the provision of medication should not be…
Headline
AHA today launched an updated Opioid Stewardship Hub, featuring the latest tools and resources to help hospitals and health systems address the opioid epidemic…
Headline
The Food and Drug Administration last week required certain labeling updates for opioid pain medicines in an effort to reduce unnecessary prescribing and…