On April 28, 2021, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has released new Practice Guidelines for the Administration of Buprenorphine for Treating Opioid Use Disorder. The new guidelines exempt eligible physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, certified registered nurse anesthetists and certified nurse midwives from federal certification requirements related to training, counseling and other ancillary services that are part of the process for obtaining a waiver to treat up to 30 patients with buprenorphine. For complete information, please see the full press release. As a helpful resource, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA) has created a Buprenorphine Quick Start Guide with facts about buprenorphine especially for providers as well as FAQ’s about the New Buprenorphine Practice Guidelines. We know this topic is of great importance in terms of expanding treatment access, so please share with colleagues in your organization as appropriate.
