All primary care doctors need a buprenorphine waiver. Here’s why.
Over 2 million Americans abuse or are dependent on prescription pain medications. These patients are in the office of every physician in the country, but only 3 percent of primary care providers offer them treatment.
Many patients are being given a sympathetic apology, a hotline to call, or a dead-end referral. Some of them are being sent to methadone clinics, which are often impractical, already-full, or deeply stigmatized. Others make their …
