In Case You Haven't Heard…

The American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) is not sure what its position is on a bill that would deregulate buprenorphine treatment. Last month, Representatives Paul Tonko (D‐New York), Antonio Delgado (D‐New York), Assistant Speaker Ben Ray Luján (D‐New Mexico), Ted Budd (R‐North Carolina), Elise Stefanik (R‐New York) and Mike Turner (R‐Ohio) released H.R. 2482, the Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act, which would deregulate the medication, which is held to high standards (like methadone) when used in the treatment of opioid use disorder, but not when used in the treatment of pain. The bill only applies to buprenorphine. “America's opioid epidemic has ravaged countless American families and shocked the conscience of our nation,” said Congressman Tonko, the bill's lead sponsor. “Despite a heartbreaking death toll that has set new records in each of the last two years, we are not powerless in the face of this crisis. For nearly two decades, buprenorphine has provided the cornerstone for safe, effective and life‐saving treatment for Americans with a diagnosed substance use disorder. Every success story it has helped produce is powerful, and today there are many. We need to unbind the hands of our medical professionals on the front lines of this epidemic and make this proven, safe addiction treatment available to every American working to overcome addiction and find or follow the path of recovery. And we need to do it now.” Congresswoman Stefanik added, “The fact that it is easier for medical professionals to prescribe opioids than it is to prescribe safe and effective treatment medications for those struggling with addiction is a failing of our system. Doctors should not have to jump through arbitrary hoops in order to try and save their patients' lives, which is why I'm co‐leading the Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act — a commonsense piece of legislation that will save lives and fight to end the opioid crisis.”