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Introduction of the Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act

By March 8, 2023May 21st, 2025No Comments

External News: Reps. Norcross, Bacon Lead Introduction of the Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access (MOTA) Act

March 6, 2023

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Congressmen Donald Norcross (D-NJ-01) and Don Bacon (R-NE-02) unveiled the Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access (MOTA) Act (H.R. 1359). This evidence-based legislation would increase access to care for people experiencing opioid use disorder (OUD) by reforming the outdated regulations governing the prescription and dispensing of methadone. Methadone is one of the most effective medicines used for the treatment of OUD and is considered an “essential medicine” by the World Health Organization. U.S. Representatives Annie Kuster (D-NH-02), David Trone (D-MD-06), Brain Fitzpatrick (R-PA-01), Paul Tonko (D-NY-20), Brittany Pettersen (D-CO-07), and Andy Kim (D-NJ-03) are original cosponsors of the bill.

“Improving access to treatment saves lives, period,” said Congressman Norcross. “This legislation lowers barriers to care at a time when we are still suffering staggering losses due to the ongoing opioid epidemic. We must end the monopoly on this life-saving medicine that only serves to enrich a cartel of for-profit clinics and stigmatize patients.”

“There are only six certified methadone clinics in Nebraska, making it a significant obstacle for those seeking treatment to overcome their opioid addiction,” said Congressman Bacon. “The current law requires patients to visit a clinic daily, which is not physically possible outside of the Omaha/Lincoln metro areas. It’s time make the treatment for opioid addiction more accessible than opioids themselves.”

The legislation makes two crucial changes to FDA regulations that have governed methadone since the 1970s and are not supported by modern medical science:

  • Allowing board-certified addiction physicians and addiction psychiatrists to prescribe methadone.

  • Allowing pharmacies to dispense methadone.

Currently, the prescribing and dispensing authority of methadone is strictly controlled by Opioid Treatment Programs (OTPs), commonly referred to as methadone clinics. To prescribe methadone, a provider must be associated with an OTP. To pick up a methadone prescription, patients must travel—often every single day—to an OTP to receive their medication under observation by OTP staff. Crucially, 70% of America’s counties lack an OTP, and daily travel can create unnecessary barriers to care for patients who are required to travel long distances, those with mobility issues, or those who lack access to reliable transportation. This is acutely true for residents of rural America.

“The devastating opioid epidemic hitting our nation demands modernization in the way patients receive opioid-related care,” said Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick, co-founder and co-chair of the Bipartisan Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Task Force. “I’m proud to co-sponsor this important, bipartisan legislation that will make meaningful progress toward combatting the opioid epidemic by expanding access to treatment.”

“We need to make it easier for those experiencing substance use disorder to access treatment and begin recovery,” said Congresswoman Annie Kuster, co-founder and co-chair of the Bipartisan Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Task Force. “I am proud to help reintroduce this legislation to end the stigma around addiction recovery and eliminate barriers to life-saving treatment and medicines. I will continue working to address the substance use crisis across our country.”

“In order to best fight the opioid epidemic in America, we have to meet folks where they are and ensure treatment is both affordable and accessible,” said Congressman David Trone, co-founder and co-chair of the Bipartisan Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Task Force. “The Modernizing Opioid Treatment Act does just that by expanding treatment options for those suffering from substance use disorder. With so many lives hanging in the balance, we must continue working together to develop innovative solutions to this crisis.”

Countries including Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia do not have these same restrictions and have lower opioid overdose death rates than the United States. All three allow prescribing in primary care settings and pharmacy dispensing.

In 2019, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine concluded that methadone is “not being deployed to maximum impact” and should be available in all treatment settings.

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