Agencies release guidance on buprenorphine prescribing

The provision of medication for opioid use disorder should not be contingent upon participation in counseling and other services, the Food and Drug Administration and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration stated in guidance released this month. Intended to clarify buprenorphine prescribing recommendations, the guidance stated that difficulty in connecting patients with counseling and other behavioral health resources should not prevent practitioners from prescribing buprenorphine for OUD. “Evidence reveals that when counseling or other resources are not immediately available, patients can still benefit from buprenorphine treatment,” the guidance states. (FDA and SAMHSA letter, 5/9/23)