As Connecticut and the nation continue to be ravaged by the growing opioid and heroin addiction epidemic, U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) today urged the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to take all necessary steps to ensure that those seeking treatment for addiction have greater access to medication-assisted treatment, such as a buprenorphine. Buprenorphine, also known as Suboxone in Ohio, is an FDA-approved medication that helps people end their use of opiates and is typically prescribed as part of a broader treatment plan with counseling and other support programs.
Report by Paula Antolini
March 2, 2016 2:44PM EDT
As Opioid Epidemic Grows Sen. Murphy Calls for Improved Access to Buprenorphine Treatment
Request comes after a local investigation revealed that critical information directing individuals to treatment is severely outdated
In Connecticut, 723 people died as a result of a drug overdose in 2015 – double the number of deaths in 2012
WASHINGTON – As Connecticut and the nation continue to be ravaged by the growing opioid and heroin addiction epidemic, U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) today urged the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to take all necessary steps to ensure that those seeking treatment for addiction have greater access to medication-assisted treatment, such as a buprenorphine. Buprenorphine is an FDA-approved medication that helps people end their use of opiates and is typically prescribed as part of a broader treatment plan with counseling and other support programs. In a letter to HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell, Murphy explained that a WTNH News8 investigation recently revealed that the Buprenorphine Treatment Physician Locator – a critical website maintained by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) that provides a list of buprenorphine prescribers – is severely outdated. Murphy called on HHS to allow SAMHSA to conduct outreach to physicians on a regular basis, and to take further action so that the most up-to-date information is available to those seeking treatment.
“I write to you today regarding the ongoing opioid crisis that is affecting the nation, and to bring to your attention an important element of a comprehensive response, the Buprenorphine Treatment Physician Locator. Unfortunately, a recent news investigation by WTNH News8 in Connecticut indicated that the list is out-of-date and a poor resource for those seeking treatment. After calling each of the doctors listed for Connecticut, investigators found that only 30 percent of the listed doctors are currently treating patients with opiate addiction with a type of buprenorphine, and only 60 percent of those physicians had capacity for new patients,” wrote Murphy. “However, my understanding is that SAMHSA is currently prohibited from proactively reaching out to physicians to ensure that the physician is treating patients with buprenorphine or whether they have the ability to see new patients. I would urge you to take all necessary steps to ensure this outreach happens on a more regular basis. Reliable and current information is critical to providing Americans with the most accurate picture of the treatment network in their state.”
Current law limits the number of physicians who can prescribe buprenorphine for opioid dependency and caps the number of patients receiving the medication. As a result, individuals seeking medication-assisted treatment often have difficulty finding physicians who are certified to prescribe buprenorphine, who are actively prescribing it, and who are accepting new patients. According to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of Connecticut, 723 people died as a result of a drug overdose in Connecticut in 2015 – double the number of deaths as a result of a drug overdose from just 2012.
Murphy, a member of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, has called on Congress to pass his bipartisan Mental Health Reform Act, which will expand federal resources and improve coordination for mental health and substance abuse treatment programs. Earlier this week, Murphy met with clients at the Rushford Center in Middletown, Connecticut, one of the state’s leading providers of addiction and mental health treatment programs that has 60 in-patient treatment beds.
The full text of the letter is available online and below:
The Honorable Sylvia Mathews Burwell
Secretary
Department of Health and Human Services
200 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20201
Dear Secretary Burwell:
I write to you today regarding the ongoing opioid crisis that is affecting the nation and to bring to your attention an important element of a comprehensive response, the Buprenorphine Treatment Physician Locator. I applaud the administration for the steps it is already taking to address this crisis, but like other states, Connecticut continues to be ravaged by opioid addiction. According to new data released from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of Connecticut, 723 people died as a result of a drug overdose in my state in 2015 – double the amount from just 2012. Of this amount, 415 were related to heroin, which represents a 27 percent increase from 2014.
One of the most critical steps we can take to stem this scourge is to ensure greater access to medication-assisted treatment, such as buprenorphine. However, current law limits which physicians can prescribe buprenorphine for opioid dependency and caps the number of patients that a physician can prescribe buprenorphine for. These policies—which are well-intentioned in their goal of limiting the likelihood of diversion for these powerful drugs—present a barrier to individuals seeking medication-assisted treatment, a barrier often exacerbated by the difficulty in finding physicians who are certified to prescribe, actively prescribing buprenorphine, and accepting new patients.
Currently, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) maintains the Buprenorphine Treatment Physician Locator, a website that provides a list of physicians that have been certified, which is searchable by city, state, or zip code. Unfortunately, a recent news investigation by WTNH News8 in Connecticut indicated that the list is out-of-date and provides insufficient information for those seeking treatment. After calling each of the doctors listed for Connecticut, investigators found that only 30 percent of the listed doctors are currently treating patients with opiate addiction with a type of buprenorphine, and only 60 percent of those physicians had capacity for new patients. This is not surprising since the certification to prescribe buprenorphine is done on a lifetime basis and a physician’s practice may evolve over time.
I understand that SAMHSA works with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to update the Buprenorphine Treatment Physician Locator to reflect providers who have inactivated their DEA registration or have passed away. However, my understanding is that SAMHSA is currently prohibited from proactively reaching out to physicians to ensure that the physician is treating patients with buprenorphine or whether they have the ability to see new patients. I therefore urge you to take all necessary steps to ensure this outreach happens on a more regular basis. Reliable and current information is critical to providing Americans with the most accurate picture of the treatment network in their state.
Again, I encourage you to take all necessary steps and request any additional resources required to ensure that the most up-to-date information on physicians who can prescribe buprenorphine is available to those seeking treatment. Thank you in advance for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Christopher S. Murphy
United States Senator
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