KYSAM Urges Fresh Revision of Buprenorphine Treatment Standards

On December 5th, the Kentucky Society of Addiction Medicine (KYSAM) sent a letter to the Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure (KBML) urging for the revision of the state’s buprenorphine treatment standards. The selected areas for revision include dosing limitations and patient visitation standards.

In the letter, KYSAM cited recent changes in federal statute, new clinical considerations in the age of fentanyl, and new policy as the pretext for a fresh review of KBML’s buprenorphine treatment standards. As such, KYSAM recommended that KBML rules be updated to reflect the removal of the federal x-waiver to prescribe buprenorphine treatment for OUD. Further, KYSAM urged KBML to revise restrictions on prescribing high dosage buprenorphine (> 16 mg), in line with ASAM’s recommendations from the recent clinical considerations document. KYSAM also called on the board to remove strict numerical patient visitation rules. Instead, KYSAM recommended that patient visitation rules adhere to national guidelines.

Read the letter here.