SAMHSA announces new rule for clinicians who prescribe buprenorphine

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration recently issued new reporting requirements for clinicians who are authorized to prescribe buprenorphine with a limit of 275 patients.

In July 2016, SAMHSA and HHS published a final rule, titled “Medication Assisted Treatment for Opioid Use Disorders,” that changed the limit of patients permitted to treat with buprenorphine from 100 or more to 275 per year among clinicians with appropriate waivers.

Clinicians are eligible to obtain the waiver if they have additional credentials in addiction medicine or addiction psychiatry from a specialty medical board or professional society or if they practice in a qualified setting specified in the rule.

As of this week, 1,665 clinicians applied for and were granted waivers to prescribe buprenorphine at the increased limit, according to SAMHSA.

The new rule requires clinicians prescribing buprenorphine at the maximum limit of 275 patients to complete a SAMHSA reporting form each year.

SAMHSA projects the reporting will help ensure clinicians prescribing at the higher level comply with safe prescribing practices.

Clinicians will be required to report annual caseload of patients per month, number of patients who receive and are referred to behavioral health services, and aspects of the clinician’s diversion control plan.

The rule is part of HHS’s Opioid Initiative, which launched in March 2015 to improve opioid prescribing practices, increase access to medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder and expand use of naloxone.

For more information:

Visit http://www.samhsa.gov.