Licensing requirements play an important role in determining access to Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) treatment. MOUD treatment utilizes three medications approved by the FDA (buprenorphine, naltrexone, and/or methadone) in combination with counseling.
While MOUD facilities and providers are governed by federal regulations, they are often further regulated by state licensure and scope of practice statutes and regulations which vary from state to state. State licensing provisions for facilities set minimum standards for operation, restrictions on where facilities may be located, and even staffing requirements. Provider scope of practice laws for nurse practitioners and physician assistants dictate who is permitted to prescribe MOUD, and whether direct supervision or extra training is required for those providers. Together, these licensing and scope of practice provisions often act as barriers to MOUD treatment access.
This dataset is cross-sectional and displays key features of licensing requirements related to MOUD treatment for facilities and providers across all 50 states and the District of Columbia in effect as of August 1, 2020.
