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eNewsletter: January 19, 2007
Improving access to buprenorphine
The number of buprenorphine patients that individual doctors may treat in their medical offices was increased from 30 to 100 as part of a new federal law reauthorizing the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). The new law allows doctors who have been certified to prescribe buprenorphine for at least one year to treat up to 100 patients. Buprenorphine is sold under the brand names Suboxone and Subutex and is used in the treatment of opiate addiction.
An estimated 5,300 doctors nationwide have completed the necessary certification to prescribe buprenorphine, meaning that many communities do not have access to the methadone alternative at all. According to Join Together online, a review of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's database of buprenorphine-certified doctors showed that a disproportionate number are located in the Northeast; New York alone has 785 certified physicians, for example, while states like South Dakota, North Dakota, and Iowa have just 2, 5, and 6 doctors, respectively, who can legally prescribe buprenorphine in their private practices.