In January 2023, the requirement for prescribers to have an “X” waiver to prescribe buprenorphine (Suboxone, Subutex, others) for Opioid Use Disorder was abolished, to improve access to this important treatment modality.  This means that any prescriber who can prescribe Schedule III medications is able to prescribe it now for that indication.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) recently released materials related to the new Medication Access and Training Expansion (MATE) Act. The Act requires new or renewing DEA registrants, as of June 27, 2023, to have completed a total of at least eight hours of accredited continuing education (CE) on the treatment and management of patients with opioid or other substance use disorders before renewing their registration.  So we recommend our prescribers get busy doing that soon!

If you are available on Wed., May 3 at 1 p.m. PT, the Washington AMDA chapter (WA-PALTC) is putting on an instructive free webinar on this topic.  Sign up here. Webinar Registration - Zoom

The MATE Act expands opportunities for prescribers to fulfill their training requirements, including via accredited CE. The full guidance is available here.  CALTCM is an accredited provider and our accredited CE activities meet the SAMHSA/DEA expectations and can be used to fulfill the MATE Act requirement for prescribers. Full details for the 2023 Summit for Excellence will be available soon. Mark your calendars for November 2-4, 2023 at the Sheraton Universal Hotel, Universal City, CA.

In discussions with CDPH and CMS, we have been reassured that as long as a clinician is acting within their scope of practice and not violating any of the Unnecessary Drug or other medication-related F Tags, there will not be any undue scrutiny or enforcement efforts because of buprenorphine use for OUD.