At long last, the “X-waiver” is finally eliminated
The federal omnibus appropriations package that was signed into law by President Biden in January 2023 included language originally from the Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment (MAT) Act, which eliminated the requirement that healthcare providers possess a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) DATA 2000 waiver, or “X-waiver,” to prescribe buprenorphine to treat opioid use disorder (OUD). This should dramatically expand access to addiction treatment and in particular to buprenorphine.
Named after the DATA 2000 legislation which created this failed policy, and nicknamed X-waiver for the “X” that accompanies a narcotics prescribing license once prescribers have completed the adequate training, DEA X-waivers have been required to prescribe buprenorphine, a Schedule III drug, as treatment for OUD. Physicians applying for a waiver were required to complete 8 additional hours of training, while Nurse Practitioners (NPs) or Physicians Assistants (PAs) were required to complete an additional 24 hours of training specifically regarding to and be able to prescribe the medication buprenorphine for the treatment of OUD.
