AMERSA Public Comment to DEA Buprenorphine Telehealth Regulations
AMERSA supports the DEA’s efforts to update federal regulations related to buprenorphine telehealth. For the last three years during the COVID-19 pandemic and associated public health emergency, telehealth has been used effectively and often exclusively by patients to receive buprenorphine for opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment. Patients and providers are highly satisfied with this treatment model, which has shown high treatment retention, treatment follow up, and reductions in overdose deaths.
To maintain and improve OUD treatment access and reduce overdose deaths, we are urging the DEA to 1) remove the 30-day in person visit requirement and 2) maintain audio-only telehealth for buprenorphine treatment as a permissible primary modality for the delivery of buprenorphine telehealth. We recommend these actions be taken through the allowances granted by the Opioid Public Health Emergency, pursuant to section 319 of the Public Health Service Act.
AMERSA Public Comment to SAMHSA Proposed Methadone Regulation Changes
AMERSA applauds SAMHSA’s efforts to update federal regulations related to Medications for the Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder 42 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 8 Notification of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM). As an organization deeply committed to improving health and well-being among communities with substance use disorders, we have provided detailed comments on several topics related to the NPRM, as well as making several added considerations that are currently not included.