Biden’s Buprenorphine Blunder?

Erin Partin and Jeffrey Miron

Per the Washington Post, a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers has sent a letter to President Biden calling for the elimination of the X‐​waiver requirement, which mandates that physicians undergo training before being allowed to prescribe buprenorphine as a treatment for opioid‐​use disorder.

From the letter:

This burdensome requirement does not improve patient safety, but does lead to treatment bottlenecks and a lack of providers across the country, particularly in rural areas. This outdated waiver requirement continues to limit access to treatment even as medical professionals are able to prescribe the same drug for pain management without jumping through bureaucratic hoops. Removing this barrier will massively expand treatment access, making it easier for medical professionals to integrate substance use disorder treatment into primary care settings.

Although Biden has previously expressed support for similar prescribing reforms, the administration blocked a plan carried over from the Trump team that would have exempted many physicians from the X‐​waiver requirement. Buprenorphine reform is supported by both lawmakers and physicians, and the Biden administration should prioritize expanding opioid‐​use disorder treatments.