Geographic Disparities Affect Access to Buprenorphine Services for Opioid Use Disorder

Adequate access to treatment is vital in addressing the escalating rates of addiction and mortality related to opioid misuse and abuse. Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) couples medication (such as buprenorphine, methadone, or naltrexone) with counseling and behavioral therapies to treat opioid use disorder. Since 2000, Congress has enacted several measures to increase the availability of MAT, including the creation and expansion of the Buprenorphine Waiver Program (waiver program). The waiver program allows physicians and certain other qualified providers to prescribe buprenorphine to patients in office settings rather than limiting this service to specialized opioid treatment programs. Despite these efforts, studies still show that only a small percentage of Americans who need treatment actually receive it.