DEA working to expand access to medication-assisted treatment for substance abuse
Washington, D.C. - On March 23, DEA Administrator Anne Milgram announced the Drug Enforcement Administration’s continued commitment to expanding access to medication-assisted treatment to help those suffering from substance use disorder.
“In this moment, when the United States is suffering tens of thousands of opioid-related overdose deaths every year, the DEA’s top priority is doing everything in our power to save lives,” said Administrator Milgram. “Medication-assisted treatment helps those who are fighting to overcome substance use disorder by sustaining recovery and preventing overdoses. At DEA, our goal is simple: we want medication-assisted treatment to be readily and safely available to anyone in the country who needs it.”
The DEA has recently been in collaboration with federal, state and local partners to champion a number of initiatives to expand access to medication-assisted treatment for those suffering from opioid-related substance use disorder.
Beginning in March 2022, practitioners working in hospitals, clinics, and emergency rooms will be able to request an exception, allowing them to dispense a three-day supply of medication-assisted treatments, including buprenorphine and methadone, to treat patients experiencing acute opioid withdrawal symptoms.
The DEA, in partnership with the Department of Health and Human Services, is engaging in regular outreach with pharmacists and practitioners, to express support for the use of medication-assisted treatment for those suffering from substance use disorder.
In July 2021, the DEA implemented a new regulation increasing the number of mobile methadone treatment facilities, in an effort to expand access to treatment in remote and underserved communities.
In response to the COVID-19 public health emergency, the DEA implemented temporary regulations allowing medication-assisted treatment to be prescribed by telemedicine. DEA is working to make those regulations permanent.
The DEA is committed to continuing to work with federal, state and local partners, to find more ways to expand access to medication-assisted treatment, and hopes that these efforts will help people across the country gain access to these lifesaving medicines.
For more information, visit DEA’s Division Control Division website: www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery.