Research Alert: May 18, 2017

Changes in the Supply of Physicians with a DEA DATA Waiver to Prescribe Buprenorphine for Opioid Use Disorder

The opioid abuse epidemic is a significant public health problem today. Rural populations face challenges in accessing treatment. More than half of rural counties nationally lack a physician with a Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) waiver to prescribe buprenorphine, a medication-assisted treatment that can be provided in an office based setting.

Additional Resources of Interest:

• Geographic and Specialty Distribution of U.S. Physicians Trained to Treat Opioid Use Disorder
• More information about the WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
• More information from the Rural Health Information Hub's topic guides: Healthcare Access, Healthcare Workforce, Mental Health, Substance Use and Misuse