Medication assisted treatment (MAT) is underutilized. Here’s why.

Fewer than 20% of individuals with OUD in the U.S. receive these very effective medications. Most physicians learn very little about substance use disorders (SUD) in medical school. Even today, many practicing physicians are unaware that MAT is superior to treatment without drugs. A common misconception is that taking medications to manage the chronic illness of addiction is just replacing one addiction with another. Physicians prescribing MAT are required to obtain a special certification - the X waiver, further limiting access to this life saving treatment. The proposed “Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act” would eliminate the need for the X waiver and require an educational program of all providers renewing their DEA certificate (required for prescription of opioids and other controlled substances) with updated information on prevention and treatment of SUD.