TNSAM Concerned by Legislation Affecting OUD Treatment for Pregnant Patients

On March 15th, the Tennessee Society of Addiction Medicine (TNSAM) sent a letter to members of the Senate Committee on Health and Welfare expressing concern with HB665/SB733. This legislation would prohibit licensed practitioners from prescribing buprenorphine until a patient signs a document acknowledging the risks of receiving opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment with buprenorphine during pregnancy.

In the letter, TNSAM stated that HB665/SB733’s mandatory disclosure requirements paint an incomplete picture of the risk that OUD treatment with buprenorphine poses during pregnancy. TNSAM emphasized that buprenorphine is the standard of care for opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment during pregnancy, according to ASAM’s National Practice Guideline. Additionally, evidence-based treatment with buprenorphine improves outcomes for parent and child. Specifically, TNSAM cited research indicating that OUD treatment during pregnancy reduces the incidence of overdose death. As such, TNSAM expressed concern that HB665/SB733’s mandatory disclosure requirements may lead patients to forego evidence-based treatment. In turn, TNSAM suggested improvements to the bill’s language addressing the risks of patients electing not to receive medication treatment for OUD, including buprenorphine.  

Read the letter here.