No National Rise In Buprenorphine Prescribing In First Year After Loosening Prescribing Rules

Between December 2022 and 2023, in the first year after the federal government loosened buprenorphine prescribing rules, the number of medical professionals able to prescribe buprenorphine increased 27%, from 42,158 in 2022 to 53,635 in December 2023. However, the number of people who filled buprenorphine prescriptions changed little after the rules were loosened in January 2023.

Previously, before they were allowed to prescribe buprenorphine, health care professionals were required to complete training to receive a special waiver (the x waiver) from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) under the Drug Addiction Treatment Act (DATA). In addition to requiring training . . .