Bicycle Health Commends U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration as It Extends Telemedicine Rule Through the End of 2024
This decision will continue to protect thousands of patients across the U.S. who access care for opioid use disorder via clinically proven virtual care platforms
BOSTON, Oct. 06, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bicycle Health, the nation’s largest virtual provider of integrated medical and behavioral healthcare for opioid use disorder (OUD), is excited to see the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) extend its telemedicine rule through the end of 2024. This news represents a significant moment for the OUD treatment community, as the DEA takes action in response to appeals from advocates and patients who depend on clinically proven telemedicine treatment options.
Medications for opioid use disorder (MOUDs) such as buprenorphine have emerged as the gold standard of care for people struggling with OUD. When MOUD treatment via telemedicine became an accessible option for thousands of patients during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) it quickly became clear how impactful virtual MOUD treatment models could be in helping patients safely enter into and maintain recovery. Recent studies have shown:
- MOUD via telehealth associated with reductions in fatal drug overdose (March 2023 study in JAMA Psychiatry)
- MOUD via telehealth improved retention and reduced medically treated overdose (August 2022 in JAMA Psychiatry)
- Utilization of MOUD improved for veterans after treatment shifted to telehealth (July 2022 in American Journal of Psychiatry)
- MOUD via telehealth improved retention and reduced no-show rates (June 2022 in JAMA Psychiatry)
Importantly, peer-reviewed research on Bicycle Health’s virtual care model shows that:
- Bicycle Health patients stay in treatment past 90 days at a rate that is nearly double the industry average (80% vs. 44%).
- Bicycle Health’s remote urine drug screening (UDS) program has a falsification rate of less than 3%, compared to published norms of 5 to 18% for in-person treatment programs.
“The Public Health Emergency waivers have allowed us to make dramatic improvements in the way medical care for opioid use disorder is delivered,” said Dr. Brian Clear, Chief Medical Officer at Bicycle Health. “As the DEA considers permanent regulation to replace the waivers, I applaud them for investing all the time and resources needed to ensure new rules support their enforcement mission without disrupting broad access to quality care for OUD.”
As opioid-related deaths have only continued to rise, data shows that 90% of people with OUD are still undiagnosed or not receiving treatment – only accelerating our nation’s largest public health crisis: the opioid epidemic. Despite this, in February 2023, the DEA proposed a ruling that would only further limit telemedicine prescribing of medications like buprenorphine. Patients and addiction medicine experts alike voiced their concerns with a record-breaking 38,000 public comments. The DEA listened – extending its flexible telemedicine prescribing and convening the agency’s first Listening Sessions on this topic in September 2023, in which Dr. Clear participated.
To learn more about the role teleMOUD can play in combatting America’s opioid epidemic, visit OUDhelp.com.
About Bicycle Health
Bicycle Health is America’s #1 telehealth provider of medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD), offering an evidence-based clinical care model that includes FDA-approved Medications for Addiction Treatment (MAT), access to a highly-trained team of medical experts, therapy, a customized treatment plan, and peer support groups. Bicycle Health’s mission is to address the country’s most severe public health crisis by providing access to affordable, convenient, and confidential tele-MOUD treatment for individuals in need and helping to reduce stigmas associated with opioid addiction. For more information, visit www.bicyclehealth.com.
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