A roadblock to life-saving addiction treatment is gone. Now what?

Registered nurse Jamie Simmons speaks with a patient during an appointment at the Greater New Bedford Community Health Center in Massachusetts. The patient, whose first name is Kim, says buprenorphine has helped her stay off heroin and avoid an overdose for nearly 20 years.

Federal restrictions seemed to explain why many doctors weren’t prescribing medication for opioid addiction. But some caution that removing those rules isn’t enough to overcome hesitancy and stigma.

(Image credit: Jesse Costa for KHN)

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