Mike Levin: “this legislation, S. 1887, ensures that all appropriately trained group practice physicians may prescribe and dispense…”

“this legislation, S. 1887, ensures that all appropriately trained group practice physicians may prescribe and dispense certain recently approved drugs for the treatment of heroin addiction. It addresses the unintended effect of the Drug Abuse and Treatment Act of 2000, DATA, that hinders access to new treatments for thousands of individuals who seek such help. When Congress passed DATA as Title XXXV of the Children's Health Act of 2000, Public Law 106-310, it allowed for the dispensing and prescribing of Schedule III drugs, like buprenorphine/naloxone, in an office-based setting, for the treatment of heroin addiction. As a result of DATA, access to drug addiction treatment is significantly expanded; patients no longer are restricted to receiving treatment in a large clinic setting, but now may receive such care from specifically trained physicians in an office-based setting. DATA limits qualified individual physicians to treating no more than 30 patients at a time. The interpretation of the law results in the same 30-patient limit on physician groups.”