Southern West Virginia News

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congresswoman Carol Miller (R-WV) and Congresswoman Anne Kuster (D-NH) have sent a letter to national accreditors for medical residencies, urging them to provide medical students with the necessary training and experiences to administer buprenorphine treatment for opioid use disorders. The letter also commends the efforts of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), the Association of American Colleges (AAMC), and the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM) in educating future medical professionals to respond to the opioid crisis.

In the letter, the congresswomen emphasize the impact of the opioid epidemic and the importance of buprenorphine in treatment. They state, "The United States has the highest number of opioid-involved deaths per capita, and the opioid overdose epidemic has claimed over 500,000 lives since 2000." They highlight the need for interventions to ensure access to prevention and effective treatment for opioid use disorder, with buprenorphine playing a critical role in saving lives.

The congresswomen also acknowledge the efforts of Congress in implementing policies to improve access to buprenorphine treatment. They mention the removal of the "X-waiver" and the increase in the number of patients that physicians can treat with buprenorphine. These policy changes have contributed to a 24% growth in buprenorphine distribution in the United States between 2019 and 2022. However, despite these efforts, some clinicians still express hesitation in prescribing buprenorphine.

Addressing this concern, the congresswomen urge the ACGME, AAMC, and AACOM to provide medical students with in-person, experiential training in medication-assisted treatment. They state, "We have heard from medical students, residents, and patient advocates that this direct education is a critical component of preparing our physician workforce to take on the opioid epidemic." They express their concern that only 14% of residency programs in emergency medicine, family medicine, internal medicine, and psychiatry provide this experiential training, according to the ACGME's 2022-2023 data resource book.

In conclusion, the congresswomen urge the ACGME, AAMC, and AACOM to accelerate their efforts in ensuring that medical students and residents receive the necessary clinical experiences to confidently and effectively treat those suffering from opioid use disorder.

This letter is a significant step towards addressing the opioid crisis and ensuring that future medical professionals are equipped with the knowledge and skills to tackle this devastating epidemic.