Present law authorizes certain limited healthcare providers to prescribe a product containing buprenorphine for opiate addiction treatment or related treatments. Physicians licensed by the state board of medical examiners or the board of osteopathic examination are the only healthcare providers authorized to prescribe any buprenorphine product for any federal food and drug administration approved use in recovery or medication-assisted treatment. However, present law provides certain exceptions. This bill creates an exception for healthcare providers who are not licensed by the state board of medical examiners or the board of osteopathic examination, but are otherwise permitted to prescribe Schedule II or III drugs, if the provider meets all of the following conditions:  Has an active registration with the federal drug enforcement agency.  Is employed by or contracts with a state correctional facility, or a county or municipal jail to provide healthcare services on-site or via telemedicine.  Has adopted clinical protocols for the facilitation or continuance of medication-assisted treatment for persons who are incarcerated in or to be released from such state correctional facility or county or municipal jail.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 53-11-311(c)(2)(P), 53-11-311, 53-11-311(c)(2)