The DATA-Waiver (or X-Waiver) was originally created under the Drug Addiction Treatment Act of 2000 to allow certain outpatient providers to prescribe buprenorphine to treat opioid use disorder (OUD). To receive a waiver, clinicians had to complete formal waiver training.

On December 29, 2022, Congress eliminated the DATA-Waiver program with the signing of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 (Section 1263), with the following changes effective immediately:

  • DATA-Waiver registration is no longer required to prescribe buprenorphine to treat patients for OUD.
  • All buprenorphine prescriptions now only require a standard DEA number from a clinician authorized to prescribe Schedule III medication. DATA-Waiver numbers are no longer needed on the prescription.
  • There are no limits or caps on the number of patients a prescriber may treat with buprenorphine for OUD.
  • The changes defer to applicable state laws or regulations.

As a follow-up to these changes, the DEA announced new training requirements for all prescribers registering or renewing a DEA certificate will go into effect on June 27, 2023. Multiple options are available for providers in need of training.