WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today applauded an announcement from the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration that nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs) can immediately begin taking the 24-hours of required training to prescribe the opioid use disorder treatment, buprenorphine. Earlier this year, Senator King convened a roundtable with nurse practitioners in Bangor that focused on the importance of allowing NPs and PAs to provide the medication-assisted treatment.

“I am pleased that SAMHSA has moved forward with this critical decision. Trained and qualified nurse practitioners and physician assistants are eager to treat their patients rather than watch them languish on wait lists,” Senator King said. “Given the high demand for medication-assisted treatment and the devastating effects the opioid epidemic is having in Maine, this is a crucial step forward for those desperately seeking treatment and will undoubtedly help save lives.”

NPs and PAs who complete the required training and seek to prescribe buprenorphine for up to 30 patients will be able to apply to do so beginning in early 2017. Previously, only physicians could prescribe buprenorphine. Once NPs and PAs receive their waiver, they can begin prescribing buprenorphine immediately.

In Maine, approximately 13,500 people received a prescription for buprenorphine last year as part of their recovery. However, despite the high demand for medication-assisted treatment, there are only 214 doctors actively prescribing it in the state.

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