The Obama administration is making it easier for doctors to use anti-addiction drugs in the fight against an exploding epidemic of prescription drug and heroin abuse.
It's part of a package of new initiatives announced Tuesday that includes other efforts to expand addiction treatment and increase coverage for mental health and substance abuse services. These initiatives are in addition to the $1.1 billion he proposed last month.
Currently, physicians are limited by law to prescribing buprenorphine to just 100 patients per doctor. The White House is increasing that cap to 200 patients per doctor.
But there's also a limited number of doctors around the country eligible to prescribe the drug, just about 30,000.
Last October, states and private sector groups proposed to double the number of buprenorphine prescribing physicians over the next three years. So far, 2,200 additional physicians have committed to complete training in buprenorphine prescribing, the White House said.
Banta-Green said expanding the number of doctors is key in the fight against an epidemic that is hitting more and more in rural and suburban areas, where access to treatment is limited. "You have to push out care to many more places," he said.
Additional efforts to fight epidemic
In addition to upping the patient limit, the White House also announced an additional $11 million to go toward state efforts to expand medication-assisted treatment programs, as well as another $94 million in new funding for treatment services to 271 community health centers across the country.
On top of expanding access to MAT, the White House announced other initiatives:
providing an additional $11 million to increase access to naloxone, the opioid overdose reversal drug.
establishing a Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Parity Task Force.
ensuring that mental health and substance use benefits are offered as medical and surgical benefits are for those enrolled in Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program.
a $7 million initiative by the Department of Justice toward policing and investigating heroin distribution.
guidance from the Department of Health and Human Services for federally funded needle exchange programs.
http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/29/health/obama-war-on-drug-abuse/index.html
It's part of a package of new initiatives announced Tuesday that includes other efforts to expand addiction treatment and increase coverage for mental health and substance abuse services. These initiatives are in addition to the $1.1 billion he proposed last month.
Currently, physicians are limited by law to prescribing buprenorphine to just 100 patients per doctor. The White House is increasing that cap to 200 patients per doctor.
But there's also a limited number of doctors around the country eligible to prescribe the drug, just about 30,000.
Last October, states and private sector groups proposed to double the number of buprenorphine prescribing physicians over the next three years. So far, 2,200 additional physicians have committed to complete training in buprenorphine prescribing, the White House said.
Banta-Green said expanding the number of doctors is key in the fight against an epidemic that is hitting more and more in rural and suburban areas, where access to treatment is limited. "You have to push out care to many more places," he said.
Additional efforts to fight epidemic
In addition to upping the patient limit, the White House also announced an additional $11 million to go toward state efforts to expand medication-assisted treatment programs, as well as another $94 million in new funding for treatment services to 271 community health centers across the country.
On top of expanding access to MAT, the White House announced other initiatives:
providing an additional $11 million to increase access to naloxone, the opioid overdose reversal drug.
establishing a Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Parity Task Force.
ensuring that mental health and substance use benefits are offered as medical and surgical benefits are for those enrolled in Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program.
a $7 million initiative by the Department of Justice toward policing and investigating heroin distribution.
guidance from the Department of Health and Human Services for federally funded needle exchange programs.
http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/29/health/obama-war-on-drug-abuse/index.html
