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Certification FAQs

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Under DATA 2000, qualified physicians may obtain a waiver allowing them to prescribe and/or dispense approved Schedule III-V medications (eg, SUBOXONE Film) for the office-based treatment of opioid dependence.

To become certified to prescribe SUBOXONE Film for office-based treatment of opioid dependence (ie, to receive a DATA 2000 waiver), physicians must complete 2 steps:

  1. Prove that they are qualified.
  2. Notify SAMHSA of their intent to treat patients with SUBOXONE Film.
Q

A

According to DATA 2000, licensed physicians are considered qualified to prescribe SUBOXONE Film if they have met at least 1 of the following criteria:

  • Addiction psychiatry subspecialty board-certified from the American Board of Medical Specialties
  • Addiction medicine-certified from the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM)
  • Addiction medicine subspecialty board-certified from the American Osteopathic Association (AOA)
  • Completed not less than 8 hours of authorized training on the treatment or management of opioid-dependent patients
    — Organizations currently authorized to provide training: American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry, American Medical Association, AOA (through the American Osteopathic Academy of Addiction Medicine), American Psychiatric Association, and ASAM
  • Participated as an investigator in 1 or more clinical trials leading to the approval of a narcotic drug in Schedule III, IV, or V for maintenance or detoxification treatment
  • Training or other such experience as determined by the physician's state medical licensing board
  • Training or other such experience as determined by the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services

In addition, physicians must satisfy BOTH of the following criteria:

  • Have the capacity to provide or to refer patients for necessary ancillary services, such as psychosocial therapy
  • Agree to treat no more than 30 patients at any one time during the first year of treating opioid-dependent patients
  • After treating patients for 1 year and sending in a second Notice of Intent to SAMHSA, agree to treat no more than 100 opioid-dependent patients at any given time
Q

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  • Physicians agree to treat no more than 30 patients at any one time during the first year following certification
  • After treating patients for 1 year and sending in a second Notice of Intent to SAMHSA, agree to treat no more than 100 patients at any given time

Information about additional training courses may be found on the websites of the organizations listed below, or by contacting the organization directly:

American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry (AAAP)
Phone: (401) 524-3076
Contact: www.aap.org/visit/contact.htm
Website: www.aaap.org

American Osteopathic Academy of Addiction Medicine (AOAAM)
Phone: (800) 621-1773
Website: www.aoaam.org

American Psychiatric Association (APA)
Phone: (703) 907-7300
E-mail: apa@psych.org
Website: www.psych.org

American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM)
Phone: (301) 656-3920
E-mail: email@asam.org
Website: www.asam.org

Some of the above organizations also offer CD-ROM and Web-based buprenorphine training (see their websites for details).

Q

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DATA 2000 requires all qualified physicians to notify SAMHSA of their intent to treat opioid-dependent patients with SUBOXONE Film prior to initiating treatment. This is generally done by submitting a Notification of Intent (NOI) form to SAMHSA.

  • Online: To complete and submit the NOI online, visit the SAMHSA buprenorphine website at www.buprenorphine.samhsa.gov
  • Mail/Fax: To download a printable version of the NOI, click here. Completed forms may be faxed to SAMHSA (240-276-1630) or mailed to the following address:

SAMHSA
Division of Pharmacologic Therapies
Attention: Opioid Treatment Waiver Program
1 Choke Cherry Road, Rm 2-1063
Rockville, MD 20857
Phone: (240) 276-2716

Q

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Shortly after your Notification of Intent (NOI) is submitted, SAMHSA will send you a letter (or e-mail) acknowledging receipt of your form. This letter means your notification is under active review.

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If, after submitting your Notification of Intent (NOI), you do not receive an acknowledgment from SAMHSA, please contact SAMHSA directly at (866) BUP-CSAT (866-287-2728) or info@buprenorphine.samhsa.gov.

To check on the status of your waiver, SAMHSA will need the date you submitted your NOI, and may ask for other identifying information, as well.

The same steps apply if you want to check on the status of your waiver after receiving SAMHSA's acknowledgment of receipt.

SAMHSA strives to process all waiver requests within 45 days of their receipt. However, if it has been more than 60 days since you submitted your form, SAMHSA asks that you please contact them so they can track your application.

Q

A

When SAMHSA's review of your Notification of Intent (NOI) is complete, you will receive a letter confirming your waiver and providing you with a DATA 2000 prescribing identification number.

  • This new number will be identical to your current DEA Schedule III, IV, or V number, except that an "X" will replace the first character (eg, AW3456789 becomes XW3456789)
  • The new number is to be used on all SUBOXONE Film prescriptions
  • Subsequently, you will be sent a revised DEA registration certificate showing both your DEA numbers
  • As of October 2004, all DEA Controlled Substance Registration Certificates are issued in the "standard" size together with a wallet-size duplicate certificate
Q

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As of July 2005, all prescriptions for SUBOXONE Tablets—and now SUBOXONE Film—must include your DATA 2000 "X" prescribing number. Records must be kept of these and all other prescriptions written for controlled substances.

Q

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The full text of DATA 2000, including all language describing physician qualifications, training criteria, and the physician-waiver process can be found at buprenorphine.samhsa.gov or by contacting SAMHSA directly:

SAMHSA Buprenorphine Information Center
Phone: (866) 287-2728 (866-BUP-CSAT)
E-mail: info@buprenorphine.samhsa.gov

Patient education brochures and other treatment resources can be downloaded from the Resources section of this website.

Reference

  1. SAMHSA buprenorphine website. Available at: http://www.buprenorphine.samhsa.gov/index.html. Accessed
    September 3, 2010.



This site is sponsored by Reckitt Benckiser Pharmaceuticals Inc. and intended for residents of the United States.
SUBOXONE® and Here to Help® are registered trademarks of Reckitt Benckiser Healthcare (UK) Ltd.
SUBOXONE® Film is manufactured for Reckitt Benckiser Pharmaceuticals Inc., Richmond, VA 23235 by MonoSol Rx LLC, Warren, NJ 07059
© 2012 Reckitt Benckiser Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Important Safety Information

SUBOXONE® (buprenorphine and naloxone) Sublingual Film (CIII) is indicated for maintenance treatment of opioid dependence as part of a complete treatment plan to include counseling and psychosocial support. Treatment should be initiated under the direction of physicians qualified under the Drug Addiction Treatment Act.

SUBOXONE Sublingual Film should not be used by patients hypersensitive to buprenorphine or naloxone.

SUBOXONE Sublingual Film can be abused in a manner similar to other opioids, legal or illicit. Clinical monitoring appropriate to the patient's level of stability is essential.

Chronic use of buprenorphine can cause physical dependence. A sudden or rapid decrease in dose may result in an opioid withdrawal syndrome that is typically milder than seen with full agonists and may be delayed in onset.

SUBOXONE Sublingual Film can cause serious life-threatening respiratory depression and death, particularly when taken by the intravenous (IV) route in combination with benzodiazepines or other central nervous system (CNS) depressants (ie, sedatives, tranquilizers, or alcohol). It is extremely dangerous to self-administer nonprescribed benzodiazepines or other CNS depressants while taking SUBOXONE Sublingual Film. Dose reduction of CNS depressants, SUBOXONE Sublingual Film, or both when both are being taken should be considered.

Liver function should be monitored before and during treatment.

Death has been reported in nontolerant, nondependent individuals, especially in the presence of CNS depressants.

Children who take SUBOXONE Sublingual Film can have severe, possibly fatal, respiratory depression. Emergency medical care is critical. Keep SUBOXONE Sublingual Film out of the sight and reach of children.

Intravenous misuse or taking SUBOXONE Sublingual Film before the effects of full-agonist opioids (eg, heroin, hydrocodone, methadone, morphine, oxycodone) have subsided is highly likely to cause opioid withdrawal symptoms.

Neonatal withdrawal has been reported. Use of SUBOXONE Sublingual Film in pregnant women or during breast-feeding should only be considered if the potential benefit justifies the potential risk. Caution should be exercised when driving vehicles or operating hazardous machinery, especially during dose adjustment.

Adverse events commonly observed with the sublingual administration of SUBOXONE Sublingual Film are numb mouth, sore tongue, redness of the mouth, headache, nausea, vomiting, sweating, constipation, signs and symptoms of withdrawal, insomnia, pain, swelling of the limbs, disturbance of attention, palpitations, and blurred vision.

Cytolytic hepatitis, jaundice, and allergic reactions, including anaphylactic shock, have been reported.

This is not a complete list of potential adverse events associated with SUBOXONE Sublingual Film. Please see full Prescribing Information for a complete list.

To report an adverse event associated with taking SUBOXONE Sublingual Film, please call 1-877-782-6966. You are encouraged to report adverse events of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

Please see full US prescribing information and Medication Guide for SUBOXONE sublingual film.

For more information about SUBOXONE® (buprenorphine and naloxone) sublingual tablets (CIII), please see full US prescribing information and Medication Guide.

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