Highlights
- •Medication-assisted treatment with buprenorphine is an effective and safe treatment for opioid use disorder.
- •A major barrier to opioid use disorder treatment in the United States is access.
- •Many states currently restrict nurse practitioners from prescribing buprenorphine for opioid use disorder.
- •Access to opioid dependence treatment would be improved by lifting state limitations on buprenorphine prescribing privileges of nurse practitioners.
Abstract
The opioid crisis has been deemed an epidemic given its catastrophic effects and dependence
outcomes. Unfortunately, access to opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment for opioid
dependence remains a significant barrier to effectively addressing this epidemic.
The Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act granted buprenorphine-prescribing privileges
to nurse practitioners with appropriate training. However, many state laws limit this
practice, thereby preventing treatment for patients suffering from OUD. These regulations
should be revised to allow nurse practitioners to care for patients with opioid dependency,
reduce health care costs, and improve patients’ and their families’ quality of life.
Keywords
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Biography
Heather J. Jackson, MSN, FNP-BC, is the Assistant Director of Outpatient Surgery, Advance Practice Team Lead Interventional Pain Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN.
Biography
Cristina Lopez, PhD is an assistant professor, Diversity & Inclusion Officer, Co-Director, Office of Gender Equity, College of Nursing, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC.
Article info
Publication history
Published online: October 16, 2018
Footnotes
In compliance with national ethical guidelines, the authors report no relationships with business or industry that would pose a conflict of interest.
Identification
Copyright
© 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
