POLITICO's Pulse Check

The roadblock facing an opioid addiction treatment

Episode Summary

The Biden administration is implementing a new law that makes it easier for doctors to prescribe a lifesaving drug — buprenorphine — to treat opioid use disorder, but one of its agencies, the Drug Enforcement Administration, subjects the drug to such strict regulation that many are reluctant to dispense it. Krista Mahr talks with host Katherine Ellen Foley about the paradox and what’s ahead.

Episode Notes

The Biden administration is implementing a new law that makes it easier for doctors to prescribe a lifesaving drug — buprenorphine — to treat opioid use disorder, but one of its agencies, the Drug Enforcement Administration, subjects the drug to such strict regulation that many are reluctant to dispense it. Krista Mahr talks with host Katherine Ellen Foley about the paradox and what’s ahead.