HHS Encouraging Physicians to Use Telemedicine to Help Treat Opioid Use Disorder
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is releasing materials to encourage physicians to take advantage of telemedicine tools, according to a recent HHS blog post. The newly-available resources were developed to help clinicians better understand how they can use telemedicine as a tool to treat opioid use disorder (OUD) and expand treatment options.
“Working with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), HHS developed materials to help clarify how clinicians can use telemedicine as a tool to expand buprenorphine-based MAT [medication assisted treatment]for opioid use disorder treatment under current DEA regulations,” said the blog post by Assistant Health Secretary Adm. Brett P. Giroir, MD. “The information, including a clinical practice example that is consistent with applicable DEA and HHS administered authorities, can help to increase access to buprenorphine by utilizing telemedicine to expand provider’s ability to prescribe MAT to patients, including remote patients under certain circumstances.”
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