Opioid Use Disorder Treatment

As of December 29, 2022, clinicians are no longer required to obtain a DATA waiver (X-waiver) to prescribe buprenorphine to treat opioid use disorder. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website for more information about the removal of the DATA waiver requirement.

In 2021, only 22% of people aged 12 or older with an opioid use disorder received medication treatment in the past year (2021 DT 5.43B). * 1 The links below provide evidence-based information on practice guidance, emergency department treatment, and overdose treatment. Starting in January 2020, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will pay Opioid Treatment Programs for opioid use disorder treatment services provided to people with Medicare Part B. Visit the CMS website to learn more.

OUD Treatments and Practice Guidance

• Science to Medicine: Medication Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder
• Effective Treatments for Opioid Addiction
• Medications to Treat Opioid Addiction
• The National Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder – 2020 Focused Update
• Clinical Guidance for Treating Pregnant and Parenting Women With Opioid Use Disorder and Their Infants
• SAMHSA’s Providers Clinical Support System — Get access to training and mentoring programs for preventing, identifying, and treating opioid use disorders.

• About Buprenorphine
• Removal of DATA Waiver (X-Waiver) Requirement
• Study: Comparison of OUD treatments highlights effectiveness of methadone and buprenorphine

• Naloxone
  • Naloxone for Opioid Overdose: Life-Saving Science
  • Science to Medicine: MAT in the ED – Review the latest science on medication treatment and read about how two physicians have integrated treatment into the Emergency Department
  • Initiating Buprenorphine Treatment in the Emergency Department – Research-based tools, tips from providers, videos, and patient handouts
  • Emergency Medicine Initiative (Addiction Policy Forum)

  Visit the NIDAMED CME/CE page for trainings on treatment for opioid use disorder and opioid overdose.

  More Treatment Resources

  • Addiction Treatment
  • Treatment Materials for Patients

  *The COVID-19 pandemic had an impact on data collection for the 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). For more information, please see the 2021 NSDUH Frequently Asked Questions from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

  1. Substance Abuse Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality. Results from the 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Detailed Tables, SAMHSA. Accessed January 2023.