PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - John C. Messinger
AU  - Anand Chukka
AU  - J. Wesley Boyd
TI  - Against Our Instincts: Decriminalization of Buprenorphine
AID  - 10.3122/jabfm.2022.02.210308
DP  - 2022 Mar 01
TA  - The Journal of the American Board of Family
                Medicine
PG  - 394--397
VI  - 35
IP  - 2
4099  - http://www.jabfm.org/content/35/2/394.short
4100  - http://www.jabfm.org/content/35/2/394.full
SO  - J Am Board Fam Med2022 Mar 01; 35
AB  - The rate of overdose deaths has increased dramatically over the past 2 decades. Recently, efforts have been made to expand access to medications for opioid use disorder, such as buprenorphine, by removing X-waiver training requirements. However, relieving such barriers has also raised concern about increasing diversion rates for buprenorphine use, defined as the use of buprenorphine for some purpose or by someone other than it was originally intended. Historically, diversion has been addressed through the criminalization of buprenorphine possession without a prescription. We argue that while buprenorphine diversion is not to be condoned, the benefits of such actions greatly outweigh the harms. Thus, criminalization of diverted buprenorphine represents a dangerous and wasteful response that threatens the progress made through expanded access to this lifesaving medication.