ASAM Provides Recommendations to Make SUD Treatment Accessible as Part of National Drug Control Strategy

As the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) finalizes its 2026 National Drug Control Strategy, ASAM offered the following recommendations to remove barriers to substance use disorder (SUD) treatment:

• Promote the financial sustainability of addiction treatment services;
• Increase access to methadone for the treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD) by modernizing Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Health and Human Services (HHS) regulations to allow qualified practitioners to prescribe it for pharmacy administration/dispensing - helping to expand access in federally qualified health centers and certified community behavioral health clinics;
• Work with the US Department of Justice to increase access to buprenorphine for the treatment of OUD by establishing a non-punitive approach for related suspicious order reporting requirements outlined under §21 USC 832; and
• Close residential addiction treatment gaps in Medicare by working with Congress to pass the bipartisan Residential Recovery for Seniors Act, and in Medicaid by working with HHS to update section 1115 demonstration guidance.

Read more about these recommendations in ASAM's letter to ONDCP here.