Access to Treatment for Opioid Use Disorders: Medical Student Preparation

The current opioid epidemic requires new approaches to increasing access to treatment for patients with opioid use disorders and to improve availability of medication assisted treatment. We propose a model where medical students complete the necessary training to be eligible for the waiver to prescribe opioid medications to treat these disorders by the time of medical school graduation. This plan would increase the number of Drug Abuse Treatment Act of 2000 (DATA 2000) waivered physicians who could gain additional experience in treating substance use disorders during residency and provide the access to clinical care needed for individuals suffering with opioid use disorder. (Am J Addict 2017;26:316-318).