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HEALTH & SCIENCETreating opioid addiction may get a bit easierNearly 6,000 physicians have been certified to treat addicted patients in their offices, but many more are needed.By Susan J. Landers, AMNews staff. Sept. 12, 2005. Washington -- Physicians considering adding treatment for opioid addiction to their practices may take comfort in knowing that a team of 45 mentors is prepared to offer them help and encouragement. In addition, President George W. Bush signed into law Aug. 2 a measure lifting the cap on the number of patients a facility can treat -- a move that will allow many more patients addicted to heroin or prescription medications containing opiates to be treated in physicians' offices. The passage of legislation allowing such office-based treatment, and the approval three years ago of the medication buprenorphine, signaled the start of a new era in addiction treatment. For the first time, physicians could be certified to offer treatment in their offices rather than referring patients to often overcrowded and distant substance abuse clinics. "Since the 1960s, treatment for addictions had been behind closed doors at traditional opioid treatment programs or methadone clinics," said Anton Bizzell, MD, medical officer at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's Center for Substance Abuse Treatment. That's changing. So far, nearly 6,000 physicians have been certified to prescribe buprenorphine (a Schedule III drug), said Dr. Bizzell. Certification requires taking an eight-hour course on the specifics of treating with this drug and applying to SAMHSA for a waiver from the Controlled Substances Act. In an attempt to attract even more physicians, a Physician Clinical Support System has been established and funded by SAMHSA. The PCSS was designed by a number of medical groups, including the AMA and the American Academy of Family Physicians, as well as the major addiction treatment organizations. [...]Full text of AMNews content is available to AMA members and paid subscribers.
Copyright 2005 American Medical Association. All rights reserved.
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