Opioid Treatment Programs and Related Federal Regulations (CRS Report for Congress)
| Release Date |
Revised June 12, 2019 |
| Report Number |
IF10219 |
| Report Type |
In Focus |
| Authors |
Johnathan H. Duff |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
| Older Revisions |
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Summary:
Federally certified opioid treatment programs (OTPs)—
often called methadone clinics—offer opioid medications,
counseling, and other services for individuals addicted to
heroin or other opioids. The use of opioid medications to
treat opioid addiction is subject to federal regulations
beyond those that apply to the same medications used for
other purposes (e.g., treating pain). The medications
methadone and buprenorphine are both opioids; their use to
treat opioid addiction is often called opioid substitution
therapy or opioid replacement therapy. With few
exceptions, the use of methadone to treat opioid addiction is
limited to OTPs; however, physicians who wish to treat
opioid addiction using buprenorphine may obtain a waiver
to do so outside an OTP. A non-opioid medication used in
the treatment of opioid addiction, naltrexone, may be used
by OTPs, physicians with waivers, or anyone with the
authority to write prescriptions.
To understand how OTPs are regulated, it is helpful to have
some background information about the medications used
to treat opioid addiction and how each is regulated.
