After
years of efforts to relieve physicians,
patients and their families of this
restriction and allow lifesaving treatment
to those in need, on 12/8/2006 both
the House and the Senate passed a bill
to raise the limit to 100, with some
conditions. This Bill, soon to be law,
states that after one year a practitioner
may submit a notification of the “intent” and “need” to
treat up to 100 patients. This is a
great step forward. Although the need
for any limit, at all, is not supported
by the current body of evidence, this
is a welcome change.
Details
of this new legislation can be found
on our 30-Patient Limit page: http://www.naabt.org/30_patient_limit.cfm
The
timing couldn’t be better. This
news coincides with a NAABT patient
awareness/out-reach program kicking
off in Detroit, Philadelphia, and New
York City this week. The aim is to
create awareness of the Buprenorphine
Treatment option and to communicate
that there is hope for the many that
feel trapped, especially at this time
of the year. (See
ad samples.)
Patient/Physician
Matching System. 680 physicians nationwide
have already registered and are accepting
patients now. Our confidential online
patient matching system is a non-intimidating
quick, free and easy way to match a
patient seeking treatment with a physician
certified to prescribe buprenorphine.
Many of the 1,593 patients who have
registered since the National launch
on September 1st, have been contacted
by a physician the very same day.
In
other parts of the country, we still
need participating physicians to offer
treatment to those in need in their
communities. Surprisingly, in some
areas there are physicians willing
to treat, while patients suffering
with opioid addiction are unaware of
the treatment. As word spreads across
the country more and more patients
will “get their lives back” and
put their addiction in remission.
Patients
seeking treatment can register securely,
anonymously
and confidentially at: https://www.naabt.org/patient_doctor/patient_application_form.cfm
See
the current national map of patients
seeking treatment.
See
the current national map of participating
certified physicians.
(Size of circle indicates 50 mile effective
service area.)
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