Physicians who meet qualifying criteria can now prescribe medication for treatment of opioid addiction, thanks to recent US legislation

The physician's role is changing, and the results will change opioid addiction therapy for the better. This site provides introductory information for physicians who are considering the implications of this new treatment paradigm on their practices. Additional content on new developments, research, and treatment options will be added as the information becomes available.

About Opioid Dependence

Estimates vary widely, but in 1996 government sources reported that as many as 2.9 million US residents had used heroin in their lifetimes, and approximately 660,000 had used it in the previous year. Heroin addiction affects people in a wide variety of communities and in all walks of life. However, data show that only about 100,000 are in treatment, in part because of limited access to treatment centers.

The estimated cost to society of heroin addiction is about $20 billion annually. Treatment programs are an effective means of reducing opioid use and helping addicts become more productive citizens. The human toll of untreated heroin addiction is difficult to calculate, but in financial terms, the cost to society has been estimated at approximately $20 billion per year.

Currently, it is recognized that chronic drug use can produce lasting changes in brain function and chemistry. Prolonged drug use can modify brain structure and function in fundamental ways that continue even after the patient stops taking drugs. As a chronic brain disease, then, it is fitting that addiction be managed like other chronic illnesses, such as diabetes and hypertension.

The Drug Addiction Treatment Act of 2000 has laid the groundwork to make this prospect a practical reality. The Act gives qualifying physicians the ability both to treat opioid dependence and to monitor patient compliance safely and conveniently in the office.

Physicians interested in offering these services to their patients must submit a notification to the Secretary of Health and Human Services.

(Review this notification form.)