USA. New approach to opioid addiction includes access to medications and eradicating social stigma

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Methadone, buprenorphine and extended-release naltrexone—all approved by the Food and Drug Administration—have successfully been used to treat OUD, which refers to both opioid dependence and addiction. The medications are highly effective in reducing cravings and response to future drug use. But the federal regulations, red tape, wildly varying state policies and social stigma associated with addiction pose significant hurdles to access, preventing many people from getting the help they want and need.

At the federal level, methadone, which has been prescribed for more than 40 years, is the most regulated drug in the country. There are strict guidelines on who can prescribe it (general practitioners cannot), the clinics that are allowed to use it, medication storage, counseling, urine testing and staffing. Only Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration-certified opioid treatment programs can dispense methadone for OUD, and most states impose further restrictions on clinic locations, testing and patient medication pickup schedules. (MedXpress, USA, 19.07.2022)

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-07-approach-opioid-addiction-access-medications.html