PHILADELPHIA -- People struggling with opioid addiction will now be able to access an addiction treatment drug from any physician licensed to prescribe controlled substances, rather than having to seek out doctors with specialized credentials.
The federal government last week lifted restrictions on who can prescribe the opioid buprenorphine to treat addiction, thanks to a legal change pushed by the Biden administration to decrease barriers to addiction care.
In Philadelphia, which has one of the nation's worst opioid addiction crises, health officials, advocates and physicians have long pushed for more widespread prescribing of buprenorphine. In 2021, a record 1,276 people died of overdoses here.
