AATOD’s Response to SAMHSA’s Federal Register Notice of May 16, 2013 in Updating the Accreditation Guidelines for OTPs (PDF Version) (Text Version)
As you will note in reading through our correspondence, we believe that the SAMHSA Guidelines represent a forward thinking policy document in providing extremely helpful guidance to OTPs as Health Care Reform is implemented in 2014.
SAMHSA’s Accreditation Guidelines Panel has made a number of thoughtful recommendations with regard to the expanded use of mid-level practitioners in OTPs in addition to reinforcing guidance on the use of Prescription Monitoring Programs as OTPs access such data to make more informed and therapeutic patient decisions.
We also think that the Guidelines provide expanded sections on the value of retaining the patient in treatment as well as guidance about recovery based treatment initiatives as part of Medication Assisted Treatment for opioid addiction.
We commend SAMHSA for its leadership in this area and express our gratitude to the members of the SAMHSA panel who constructed such forward thinking guidelines for OTPs.
