Anti-Opioid Prescription Rules Stymie Access for Black Patients

Federal prescription drug laws and a lack of trained physicians are hindering access in Black communities to a take-at-home treatment for opioid use disorder, health-care advocates say.

Buprenorphine has emerged as an effective tool in helping people beat substance use disorder. But not many doctors have completed the requisite extra training that would allow them to prescribe it. And a federal cap on the number of patients each health-care provider is allowed to treat with buprenorphine further restricts access to the medication.

That creates a particular challenge for ensuring access to the treatment for patients in Black communities, which face ...