Heinrich, Tonko Introduce Legislation to Increase Access to Buprenorphine, Save Lives
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and U.S. Representative Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.) introduced the Broadening Utilization of Proven and Effective Treatment for Recovery Act, or BUPE for Recovery Act, legislation to increase access to buprenorphine — a lifesaving drug used to treat opioid use disorder — by removing barriers providers and patients face when trying to access the medication.
“New Mexicans know too well the heartache of losing a loved one to opioids. Enough is enough. We need an all-hands-on-deck approach to tackle this epidemic with the urgency it demands, which includes eliminating barriers that providers and patients face in accessing lifesaving medication,” said Heinrich. “My legislation aims to change reporting requirements for buprenorphine, ensuring that patients receive timely and effective treatment for opioid use disorder. This will help save lives and help New Mexicans get the care they need.”
“For years, I’ve worked to address this disease of addiction and secure access to lifesaving treatments for the millions of Americans working to find and follow the path to recovery,” said Tonko. “A lynchpin of my efforts to address the opioid crisis is my MAT Act that eliminates outdated, bureaucratic barriers preventing practitioners from prescribing the proven treatment, buprenorphine, to their patients. Our newest bill, the BUPE for Recovery Act further strengthens our push to expand accessibility to this lifesaving drug. I thank Senator Heinrich for spearheading this effort with me and urge my colleagues to join us in advancing this legislation as soon as possible.”
The BUPE for Recovery Act temporarily exempts buprenorphine from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Suspicious Orders Report System (SORS) requirements during the opioid public health emergency. SORS reporting requirements have led to an uncertainty among pharmacies and distributors to stock and dispense buprenorphine, which can prevent individuals suffering from opioid use disorder from receiving timely and effective treatment.
This legislation will mitigate the treatment gap created by stringent SORS reporting requirements, reducing overdose deaths, saving lives, and improving public health outcomes.
The BUPE for Recovery Act is endorsed by the American Association of Psychiatric Pharmacists (AAPP), American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, American Medical Association (AMA), American Nurses Association, American Pharmacists Association (APhA), American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM), Association for Behavioral Health and Wellness (ABHW), Faces & Voices of Recovery, Overdose Prevention Initiative at GHAI, International Certification & Reciprocity Consortium (IC&RC), Kent Strategic Advisors, LLC, The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP), National Association for Behavioral Healthcare (NABH), National Behavioral Health Association of Providers, National Black Harm Reduction Network (NBHRN), National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA), The Kennedy Forum, Treatment Communities of America, Addiction Professionals of North Carolina, California Consortium of Addiction Programs & Professionals, Greater New York Hospital Association (GNYHA), New Mexico American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, and the National League for Nursing.
"Over a million Americans have died from a drug overdose since 1999, exposing millions more to devastating, personal loss,” said Dr. Brian Hurley, President of the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM). “Policymakers must focus on advancing policies to ensure that pharmacists can fulfill their core function to dispense lawful prescriptions for addiction medications. We thank Senator Heinrich for his leadership in introducing Broadening Utilization of Proven and Effective Treatment for Recovery Act, which would temporarily exempt buprenorphine products approved for the treatment of opioid use disorder from the federal Suspicious Orders Report System and related reporting requirements. ASAM looks forward to working with lawmakers to ensure this vital legislation is enacted swiftly.”
“Over the past several years, New Mexico has made substantial investments to treat substance use disorders and prevent overdoses. At the federal level, significant barriers have been removed for prescribing medications for opioid use disorder, like buprenorphine. Unfortunately, stringent reporting requirements for buprenorphine continue to hinder our progress in the fight against the opioid epidemic. New Mexico ACEP strongly supports legislation that will remove buprenorphine from the Suspicious Orders Reports System and increase access to this evidence-based treatment," said Scott Mueller, DO, FACEP, President of the New Mexico Chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians (NMACEP).
“Buprenorphine is a life saving medication proven to reduce the risk of overdose deaths in individuals with opioid use disorder. Despite strong evidence for the effectiveness of buprenorphine, patients face far too many unnecessary barriers getting this medication. The American Medical Association urges that suspicious order reporting requirements not be triggered based upon orders for buprenorphine and their fulfillment, as buprenorphine has been approved by the FDA for opioid use disorder. If buprenorphine products remain in the Drug Enforcement Administration’s suspicious order reporting requirements, patients will continue to suffer. It is imperative to increase access to buprenorphine to save lives,” said Bobby Mukkamala, MD, President-elect of the American Medical Association and Chair of the AMA Substance Use and Pain Care Task Force.
A summary of the bill is here. The text of the bill is here.
Heinrich has continuously worked to make opioid use disorder treatments more readily available.
In the Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS)Appropriations Bill, Heinrich successfully included language directing the DEA to take further action to remove barriers to access for opioid use disorder medications such as buprenorphine. The inclusion of this language will assist local medical and mental health providers and make medications, including buprenorphine, more accessible to New Mexicans.
Find an extensive list of Heinrich’s actions to tackle the fentanyl crisis and make opioid use disorder treatments more readily available here.
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