End Substance Use Disorder President Applauds Biden Administration’s Move to Reform Guidelines for Life-Saving Overdose Prevention Medicine

End Substance Use Disorder president Erin Schanning released the following statement in response to the Biden administration’s issuance of new X-Waiver Practice Guidelines: 

“Today, the Biden administration took a significant step to address the worsening overdose crisis. The administration issued regulatory guidelines that will remove certain barriers to prescribing buprenorphine, a medication that can help save people from deadly overdoses. The administration will now allow physicians, advanced practice registered nurses, and physician assistants with a standard controlled medication license to prescribe buprenorphine to up to 30 patients with opioid use disorder at a time, without having to undertake special training on the medication or having to certify their ability to refer patients to counseling and psychosocial services. 

“Medical professionals who wish to prescribe buprenorphine to patients with opioid use disorder under these guidelines will still need to apply for special registration with SAMHSA and utilize a special DEA prescribing number that starts with an “X.” Medical professionals who treat more than 30 patients at a time will still be subject to the training and counseling requirements. The changes will go into effect on April 28, 2021. 

“Currently, the X-Waiver requires medical professionals to complete training, certify their ability to provide or refer patients to counseling and psychosocial services, and apply for a special registration with SAMHSA and the DEA before they are able to prescribe buprenorphine. Once they receive that federal registration, medical professionals are subject to limits on the number of patients with opioid use disorder that they can treat. 

“The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on our communities, families, and our mental health has sparked the largest increase in overdose deaths in over 25 years. As counselors, health care professionals, and advocates know — substance use disorder transcends location, income, and background. In buprenorphine, we have a medication that cuts the risk of overdose death in half and helps prevent the painful and debilitating symptoms of withdrawal. We must do all we can to ensure that health care professionals can prescribe this life-saving medication without unnecessary barriers or waivers.

“End Substance Use Disorder and our partners are calling on Congress to pass the MAT Act to make these changes permanent, remove other undue restrictions on treating substance use disorder, and save tens of thousands of Americans from overdose deaths each year.” 

About End Substance Use Disorder

End Substance Use Disorder is a campaign of leaders building a world where substance use disorder is prevented and treated, not shamed. End Substance Use Disorder engages leading organizations and experts from across the country to secure reforms proven to prevent and treat substance use disorder.