There is a shortage of clinicians authorized to prescribe medications to treat opioid use disorder. Many states have restrictions that hinder nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs) from prescribing medication that can treat the opioid addiction.

Because of these state legislation restrictions, there is a serious lack of treatment and these restrictive states need reformed regulations to utilize the nurse practitioner workforce in addressing the crisis. The Drug AddictionTreatment Act (DATA), granted Physicians waivers to prescribe buprenorphine, which can safely and effectively reduces opiate withdrawal and addiction symptoms in a office setting. The updated law from 2016 gives NPs and PAs the same authority. The problem is If an NP or PA practices in a state that requires physician supervision it also will allow physician's to deny NP's and PA's to be involved in opioid treatment. Many of the restrictive states have the highest addiction and overdose rates per capita. Changing the laws isn't easy despite the training that nurse practitioners and physician assistants need to be credentialed. In addition to an undergraduate nursing degree, nurse practitioners must complete a graduate program to be certified. Physician assistants, who work directly with doctors, must complete at least two years of advanced studies after obtaining a bachelor's degree. But state medical societies, which represent doctors and wield significant influence in most legislatures, are reluctant to share medical turf with NPs, arguing that nurse practitioners lack the necessary level of medical training. The Federal Trade Commission has weighed in on legislative efforts to give nurse practitioners more autonomy in several states, stating that physician groups have no valid reason for blocking such laws other than to thwart their competition.

Please sign this petition to help increase the accessibility to combat our nation's opioid epidemic and stop preventing other prescribers from offering effective treatment.