SAMHSA To Allow Opioid Treatment Programs To Use Telehealth Evaluations For Buprenorphine After The COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Ends

Under new guidance issued on June 28, 2022, opioid treatment programs (OTPs) will be permitted to continue to use telehealth (audio and audio-visual) to conduct physical evaluations for people prescribed buprenorphine after the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health emergency (PHE) ends. OTPs will not be required to conduct the evaluations in-person if the OTP clinical staff can safely evaluate and supervise consumers in treatment via telehealth. This extension applies to only OTP consumers treated with buprenorphine. For new consumers treated with methadone, OTPs must provide in-person evaluations only.

The guidance was issued by the federal . . .