DEA commits to expand access to MAT

DEA administrator Anne Milgram announced the agency’s continued support for expanding access to medication-assisted treatment (MAT) to help individuals with substance use disorder.

Effective March 2022, practitioners working in hospitals, clinics, and emergency departments with be able to request an exception that permits them to dispense a 3-day supply of MATs to treat patients experiencing acute opioid withdrawal symptoms.

Also, DEA—in partnership with HHS—said it is engaging in regular outreach with pharmacists and practitioners to express support for the use of MAT for people with substance use disorder.

“Medication-assisted treatment helps those who are fighting to overcome substance use disorder by sustaining recovery and preventing overdoses,” Milgram said in a press release. “At DEA, our goal is simple: we want medication-assisted treatment to be readily and safely available to anyone in the country who needs it.”

DEA—working with federal, state, and local partners—has been supporting several initiatives to widen access to MAT for people with opioid-related substance use disorder.

In response to the COVID-19 public health emergency, DEA adopted temporary regulations permitting MAT to be prescribed via telemedicine, and it is now working to make those changes permanent.