Inside STAT: Doctors, health officials push to end restrictions on key addiction treatment

Why can’t doctors who prescribe opioids also prescribe drugs to treat opioid addiction? That’s the question on the minds of a group of people that’s looking to expand treatment for those struggling with substance use disorder. The group — which includes 18 state public health directors, a growing group of physicians, and a prominent member of Congress — is pushing to deregulate buprenorphine, which is used to lessen opioid cravings and withdrawal symptoms, but is highly regulated due to fears that it could be misused. But this week, Rep. Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.) will introduce legislation to allow any medical practitioner licensed to prescribe controlled substances to prescribe buprenorphine, he told STAT’s Lev Facher. Read more on the effort here.