AANP Statement on Release of Final Opioid Legislation
AUSTIN, TX -- In response to yesterday’s announcement that the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate reached an agreement on comprehensive legislation to combat the opioid crisis, AANP President Joyce Knestrick, Ph.D., C-FNP, APRN, FAANP, issued the following statement:
“With this agreement, Congress has reaffirmed the power of America’s 248,000 NPs to fight and win the battle against opioid addiction. The legislation permanently authorizes NPs to prescribe Medication-Assisted Treatments (MATs), further expanding patient access to these critical treatments—prescribed and managed by NPs. Today, nearly 7,000 NPs can prescribe MATs, and we call on all NPs to complete the required training and waiver this year. To the millions of American families struggling with addiction today, we want you to know we are committed to fighting this epidemic and continuing to provide access to treatment. We ask Congress and the President to move swiftly on final passage of this legislation and thank these leaders for affirming our vital role in delivering high-quality, lifesaving care to patients nationwide.”
To address the urgent need for increased access to care for patients with opioid use disorders, AANP collaborated with the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) and the American Academy of PAs (AAPA) to provide the required 24-hours of education so that NPs can apply for the waiver to treat this patient population. To learn more about this course, please visit the AANP CE Center.
The American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) is the largest professional membership organization for nurse practitioners (NPs) of all specialties. It represents the interests of the more than 248,000 licensed NPs in the U.S. AANP provides legislative leadership at the local, state and national levels, advancing health policy; promoting excellence in practice, education and research; and establishing standards that best serve NP patients and other health care consumers. As The Voice of the Nurse Practitioner®, AANP represents the interests of NPs as providers of high-quality, cost-effective, comprehensive, patient-centered health care. To locate a nurse practitioner in your community, go to npfinder.com. For more information about NPs, visit aanp.org.