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PERSPECTIVE

New Federal Initiatives To Enhance the Medical Treatment of Opioid Dependence

David A. Fiellin, MD, and Patrick G. O'Connor, MD, MPH

15 October 2002 | Volume 137 Issue 8 | Pages 688-692

Opioid dependence is a chronic relapsing medical condition with substantial health and societal complications. Recent federal initiatives are designed to enhance the medical treatment of patients with opioid dependence and will expand the role of internists in the care of these patients. These initiatives include a process for federal exemptions to allow for pharmacologic treatment in office settings, waivers for the use of new medications, and new rules governing the oversight and distribution of opioid agonist medications for maintenance treatment. This perspective describes these initiatives and their implications for internists.

Author and Article Information

From Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.

Grant Support: Dr. Fiellin is supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse Physician Scientist Award (NIDA grant number K12 DA00167) and is a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Generalist Physician Faculty Scholar.

Requests for Single Reprints: David A. Fiellin, MD, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, PO Box 208025, New Haven, CT 06520-8025; e-mail, david.fiellin{at}yale.edu.

Current Author Addresses: Drs. Fiellin and O'Connor: Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, PO Box 208025, New Haven, CT 06520-8025.

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