This bill would temporarily exempt buprenorphine, a medication used to treat opioid addiction, from the Drug Enforcement Administration's Suspicious Orders Report System for the remainder of the federal opioid public health emergency. The exemption is intended to address pharmacy concerns about regulatory scrutiny that may discourage them from stocking adequate supplies of buprenorphine, potentially making it harder for patients to fill prescriptions. Within 90 days after the public health emergency ends, the Department of Justice and Department of Health and Human Services must jointly report to Congress and the White House on whether the temporary exemption increased patient access to buprenorphine treatment and whether the exemption should become permanent. The bill reflects congressional concern that current reporting requirements are unintentionally creating barriers to addiction treatment by discouraging pharmacies from maintaining adequate buprenorphine inventory.
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