The U.S. Senate recently passed the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment (SUPPORT) for Patients and Communities Act and the Substance Use Disorder Workforce Loan Repayment Act as part of a compromise opioid legislation package negotiated between the U.S. House and Senate. The legislation awaits President Trump’s signature.
Section 3201 in SUPPORT enables nurse practitioners and physician assistants to prescribe buprenorphine permanently once they obtain a waiver required by any provider to prescribe medication-assisted treatment (MAT). It expands this MAT prescribing authority for five years to the other advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) specialties: certified nurse-midwives, clinical nurse specialists and certified registered nurse anesthetists.
Opioid addiction is one of the most significant issues the U.S. health system faces today. SUPPORT is one step in the right direction to combat the national opioid crisis and recognizes nurses’ critical role in solving this public health issue.
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