Who can prescribe buprenorphine for maintenance in the United States?
Any physician who meets the specified qualifications and who registers with the Federal government may prescribe buprenorphine for maintenance or detoxification. Essentially, the physician is required either to be certified in addiction medicine or to take an 8-hour course on buprenorphine. The course requirement may be satisfied a number of ways, including though online study. The physician must also have the ability to refer patients to supportive services (for instance, counseling) when needed. The criteria by which the requirements are judged are not specified. Physicians are permitted to treat no more than 30 buprenorphine patients.
