Buprenorphine Issues

The two articles on buprenorphine treatment in the September 2 issue announced encouraging developments.

The article “Law Raises Patient Limits on Buprenorphine” reported the lifting of the cap of 30 patients who can receive buprenorphine treatment in a group practice at one time. The second article, “Support Offered for Buprenorphine Use,” announced that the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, in collaboration with the American Society of Addiction Medicine, has introduced a support system for physicians who provide buprenorphine treatment.

I believe that a lot can be done to increase the awareness, knowledge, and competency of psychiatry residents with regard to buprenorphine treatment. Just recently WHO, for the first time, added both buprenorphine and methadone to the Model List of Essential Medicines.

APA and other psychiatric/addiction medicine organizations, in collaboration with the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education and psychiatry residency programs, should take steps in encouraging the adoption of office-based buprenorphine training as a competency requirement for residents. The integrative model of dual-diagnosis treatment is seen as the most ideal and effective, and now that buprenorphine treatment is office based, I believe that competency in using this medication should be a requirement.