AMA applauds administration's new efforts to combat opioid epidemic

The American Medical Association (AMA) today applauded new actions by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to combat the country's opioid epidemic. The new steps include a final rule to increase patient access to comprehensive treatment for opioid use disorder by allowing physicians to prescribe medication-assisted treatment (MAT) with buprenorphine to significantly more patients than the prior limit.

 "The AMA applauds the critical steps announced today by Secretary Burwell to attack the opioid epidemic that is ravaging communities of all shapes and sizes across our country," said AMA President Dr. Andrew W. Gurman. "Medication-assisted treatment is proven effective, but for too long, too many patients have lacked access to this treatment. Today's final rule is an important step that nearly triples the number of patients practitioners may treat with a waiver, but more must be done to leverage trained physicians to close the treatment gap."