CAPITO, COLLEAGUES CALL ON DEA TO REMOVE BARRIERS TO LIFESAVING OPIOID USE DISORDER TREATMENT

Press Release

"According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 106,000 Americans died from a drug overdose in the past year alone. Now more than ever, it is critical that the best treatments are made widely available and barriers to interventions are broken down.

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We recognize that the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the DEA Diversion Control Division jointly published a Suspicious Orders Q&A on January 20, 2023, which explains that the agency does not place quantitative thresholds or limits on the amounts of controlled substances that a pharmacy can order. However, more is needed. Without formal guidance from the DEA, the absence of quantitative thresholds has created chilling effects on access to buprenorphine due to the perceived risks of crossing an undefined threshold by the DEA.

The opioid epidemic remains one of the greatest public health crises our nation has ever faced. We must ensure the necessary resources and policies are in place so that every American who needs it can find treatment and lifesaving care."

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