Patients Eligible for Opioid Rescue Medication to Double Under HHS Rule

The number of patients to whom physicians could prescribe opioid rescue medications would double under an HHS proposed rule.

Currently physicians only can prescribe buprenorphine and the combination of buprenorphine and naloxone to 100 patients. If they were to prescribe to more than 100 patients, they would need to register as an opioid treatment program. The proposed rule would expand that number of patients to 200.

The proposed rule also includes $11 million for states to purchase and distribute naloxone.