Legislation and Policy
Data 2000
The Drug Addiction Treatment Act of 2000 (PL-106-310, Section 3502) permits physicians who are trained or experienced in opioid addiction treatment to obtain waivers to prescribe certain narcotic drugs in Schedule III, IV, or V of the Controlled Substances Act in their office practices or in other clinical settings, for the treatment of opioid dependence. Both buprenorphine and the combination of buprenorphine with naloxone are approved by FDA for use in the detoxification and maintenance treatment of opioid dependence. Please click here for more information.
Physicians are qualified if they are certified in Addiction Medicine or Addiction Psychiatry. As part of the requirements to obtain the waiver, physicians not otherwise qualified must complete no less than 8 hours of training offered by an organization named in DATA 2000 (these groups include American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry (AAAP), American Osteopathic Academy of Addiction Medicine (AOAAM), American Psychiatric Association (APA), American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) or the American Medical Association (AMA) (although AMA has opted out of providing these trainings). Physicians who complete an 8-hour training regimen sponsored by a DATA organization will meet the training qualification under the law and can submit the required application for a waiver that will allow a physician to prescribe FDA approved medications for treatment of opioid dependence in Schedules III, IV or V in clinical settings outside of licensed narcotic treatment programs.
