Skip to main content

MATTERS’ Chief Medical Officer and Medical Director of Telemedicine recently authored an article on the evolving regulations surrounding virtual treatment for opioid use disorder.

Thank you to The Buffalo News for helping raise awareness of this important issue.

Click here to access the original article

Key Points

During the COVID-19 pandemic, millions of Americans struggled with access to quality medical care. Many organizations began offering telemedicine services to reduce the lapses in treatment for patients, and the United States Drug Enforcement Administration granted flexibilities in virtually prescribing medications for opioid use disorder. This policy was initially intended to last until the end of the pandemic; however, it was extended in May 2023, then again in October 2023 due to the overwhelming support from clinicians nationwide. This policy extension is set to expire at the end of December 2024.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, MATTERS partnered with UBMD Emergency Medicine, Erie County Medical Center, and Kaleida Health Systems to develop two virtual emergency departments to provide rapid evaluations, prescriptions, and referrals to treatment for individuals with opioid use disorder. In 2023 alone, these virtual emergency departments received an average of 185 calls related to opioid use disorder (OUD) each month from across New York State. About 55% of all MATTERS referrals in 2023 came from telemedicine settings, which indicates the value and utilization of these services.

MATTERS recently published a research article on the effects that telemedicine has on patient outcomes. Our program found that individuals who were referred to treatment via telemedicine reported reduced barriers to treatment and and followed up at a high rate than those referred from in-person emergency departments. Virtual treatment for opioid use disorder is an effective model for care, and MATTERS urges the medical community to join us in advocating for the continuation of this policy extension. Our Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Joshua Lynch, and Medical Director of Telemedicine, Dr. Renoj Varughese, recently advocated for this policy extension to become the law of the land. In a recent Buffalo News article, MATTERS’ clinical leadership team state that our community needs “the federal government to view telemedicine as an essential treatment modality, not as a stopgap only needed during the pandemic”.

Thank you to The Buffalo News for raising awareness on this important public health topic. Advocate for improved patient care in your community – contact your local news station about this changing legislation!