Student Presenter(s): Yash Trivedi
Faculty Mentor: Joerg Leheste
Department: Biological and Medical Sciences
School/College: College of Arts and Sciences, Long Island

Over 2 million Americans suffer from opioid use disorders (OUDs), which are defined as the misuse of drugs that target opioid receptors to induce euphorically and analgesic effects leading to clinical impairment or distress. Opioid abuse deaths constitute approximately 75% of drug overdose deaths in America each year, exacerbating the opioid epidemic we are currently experiencing. Given these facts, it is critical for the American healthcare system to offer alternative treatment options for patients. As a Schedule III partial mu-opioid agonist with proven clinical efficacy, buprenorphine is a Medicare-covered alternative. Until recently, healthcare practitioners were required to apply for an “X waiver” according to the Drug Addiction Treatment Act of 2000 in order to prescribe buprenorphine, thus limiting accessibility. H.R.1384 is a bill that removes this requirement and allows for the practice of medication-assisted treatment (MAT) and other detoxification treatments, reducing the hurdles around buprenorphine prescription. This bill has the potential of saving many lives that would otherwise be lost to the opioid epidemic.