The number of opiate addicts an individual physician is authorized to treat
with buprenorphine under the Drug Addiction Treatment Act of 2000 (DATA 2000)
has been raised from 30 to 100, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration (SAMHSA) announced in January. The increase reflects a change
in the Office of National Drug Control Policy Reauthorization Act (ONDCPRA) of
2006.
This change applies to physicians who use buprenorphine (Suboxone and
Subutex) to treat opioid dependence on an outpatient basis and who are in solo
or group practices (Psychiatric News, January 5).
Under ONDCPRA physicians who meet the following four criteria may notify
the secretary of Health and Human Services of their intent to treat up to 100
patients with buprenorphine:
New York City's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has teamed up with
the nonprofit National Alliance of Advocates for Buprenorphine Treatment
(NAABT) and local physicians and pharmacists in an outreach effort to
publicize the treatment to opiate addicts.
Another part of the collaboration is a patient-physician matching system
launched by NAABT. In this free and confidential system, potential patients
register online and fill out a questionnaire.
Notification forms and procedures are posted at<www.buprenorphine.samhsa.gov>.
Additional information is available from Nicholas Reuter by phone at (240)
276-2700 or by e-mail at
Nicholas.Reuter@samhsa.org.
Information about NAABT is posted at<www.naabt.org>.▪