How Can You Use Telemedicine to Provide Medication-Assisted Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder?

​Healthcare providers may use telemedicine to provide buprenorphine-based medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder (OUD), according to a September 18, 2018, blog post from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Qualified practitioners can use certain waivers let qualified practitioners prescribe buprenorphine to treat OUD in settings outside a federally regulated opioid treatment program. However, many patients with OUD, particularly those in rural or remote areas, have difficulty accessing MAT. Telemedicine can help surmount these obstacles, but many healthcare providers are unaware that telemedicine can be used in buprenorphine-based waiver programs.