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Epidemics

Trump Administration Relaxes Rules for Addiction Treatments Amid Coronavirus Lockdowns

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

The US government's response to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic has brought about significant changes in the way addiction treatments are administered, particularly with regards to the opioid crisis. The Trump administration has temporarily eased restrictions governing the prescription of addiction medications, such as methadone, allowing patients to begin treatment online and receive home deliveries of drugs used as treatments. This shift in policy has been met with optimism by addiction therapy experts, who believe it could encourage more people to seek treatment. Prior to the pandemic, addiction to opioids was seen as the biggest public health crisis in the US, with 47,600 people dying in 2018 after overdosing on opioids, including heroin and painkillers such as fentanyl.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Trump administration has relaxed rules governing the prescription of addiction medications, such as methadone, allowing patients to begin treatment online and receive home deliveries of drugs used as treatments.
  • The relaxation of rules is intended to address the opioid crisis, with 47,600 people dying in 2018 after overdosing on opioids, including heroin and painkillers such as fentanyl.
  • US doctors face restrictions on prescribing drugs such as methadone and buprenorphine, which can be abused and may end up on the black market, fuelling the problem they are meant to solve.
  • The US government has increased medication-based opioid treatment since 2017, with the National Institute on Drug Abuse estimating that only a third of patients being treated for opioid abuse receive medication.
  • The relaxation of rules has allowed patients to take home enough methadone for 28 days, or 14 for those at higher risk of overdose, and for doctors to prescribe buprenorphine without seeing a patient in person first.
  • Online caregivers, such as Boulder Care, are seeing an increase in enrollments, with a third more patients starting treatment in the past two months, and new inquiries up over 100 per cent each week.

Statistics:

  • 47,600 people died in 2018 after overdosing on opioids, including heroin and painkillers such as fentanyl.
  • Methadone was involved in 3,194 deaths in the US in 2018, compared with 15,482 involving heroin.
  • Since 2017, the US government has increased medication-based opioid treatment, making it one of its "major pillars" in fighting the crisis.
  • From March to April 2020, a third more patients enrolled in Boulder Care, a tele-health company for opioid addiction.
  • New inquiries to Boulder Care increased by over 100 per cent each week during the same period.

Sources:

  • [Kiran Stacey, Hannah Kuchler, and New York, "Coronavirus lockdowns prompt Trump administration to relax rules governing addiction treatments," The Financial Times, 2020]
  • [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "Opioid Overdose," 2020]
  • [National Institute on Drug Abuse, "Medication-Assisted Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder," 2020]
  • [Boulder Care, "Telehealth for Opioid Addiction," 2020]

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