According to an article from MedPage Today, there are some Republican members of the House that fear the elimination of the X-Waiver could lead to higher rates of buprenorphine diversion.
These members voiced their concerns during a Health Subcommittee Legislative Hearing (“Lives Worth Living: Addressing the Fentanyl Crisis, Protecting Critical Lifelines, and Combatting Discrimination Against Those with Disabilities”) on February 1, 2023. Representative Larry Bucshon, M.D. (R-IN 8th District) recognizes that medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) is an “important tool in the right circumstances” but believes buprenorphine is “extremely vulnerable to misuse and diversion” since it is “itself an opioid.” Representative Diana Harshbarger, PharmD (R-TN 1st district) expressed similar concerns. At the same time, Harshbarger also expressed concern about stopping access to treatment for those who need it and potential disruption in treatment access with certain regulatory flexibilities expiring when the public health emergency ends in May, asking John DeLena, associate administrator of business operations for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), about the proposed rule on providing controlled substances via telehealth. The subcommittee also discussed the classification of fentanyl-like substances and the problem of drugs being trafficked to adolescents using social media.
Read the full article here.