Increasing Access to Medication for Opioid Use Disorder (Resolution 121-4-25)
RESOLUTION NO: 121-4-25
TITLE: Increasing Access to Medication for Opioid Use Disorder
ACTION: PASS
WHEREAS, on March 27, 2024, Xavier Becerra, secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, renewed the national opioid public health emergency1; and
WHEREAS, provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Center for Health Statistics indicate there were an estimated 107,543 drug overdose deaths in the US during 2023.2 Additional 2022 data from the CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report estimated that 3.7% of US adults need opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment, and further, 30% of patients receiving treatment did not include medication for OUD (MOUD)3; and
WHEREAS, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) provides research showing that a combination of medication and therapy can successfully treat substance use disorders and, for some, medications can help sustain recovery4; and
WHEREAS, MOUD used is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, clinically indicated, and can be tailored to meet each patient’s needs; and
WHEREAS, despite its proven use, barriers to access to MOUD remain – boards of pharmacy have received public comments from pharmacists, prescribers, and patient advocates citing wholesale distributor thresholds as a potential barrier to MOUD for patients;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that NABP partner with appropriate stakeholders, including Healthcare Distribution Alliance, SAMHSA, and others, to advocate for Drug Enforcement Administration to provide clear guidance to wholesale distributors and manufacturers of MOUD regarding pharmacy purchasing thresholds to ease patient suffering and improve access to MOUD; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that NABP advocate for the largest wholesale distributors to develop a standardized process for pharmacies to request increases in thresholds established for MOUD; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that NABP develop educational materials for its members to use to educate pharmacies on the process to request an increase in MOUD supply; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that NABP convene a task force to identify additional opportunities and recommend actions that NABP and its member boards of pharmacy can take to remove barriers limiting patient access to buprenorphine for use in the treatment of OUD.
(Resolution passed at the 121st Annual Meeting in Fort Lauderdale, FL.)