APhA secures key congressional win allowing pharmacists to prescribe buprenorphine with specialized training

Significant provision expands pharmacists' role in opioid use disorder treatment.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Pharmacists Association (APhA) today announced a major legislative victory secured for pharmacists and the patients they serve. Working closely with bipartisan members of Congress and collaborating with other health care stakeholders, APhA successfully secured language in recently passed opioid use disorder (OUD) legislation that empowers pharmacists to play a greater role in combating the opioid crisis and expands their ability to provide life-saving care.

On December 1, President Trump signed H.R. 2483, the "SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act of 2025," into law, which includes a critical provision permitting APhA and the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) to offer 8 hours of continuing pharmacy education (CPE) training for pharmacists. This training will fulfill requirements under law for prescribing buprenorphine, an essential medication for treating OUD, and will ensure pharmacists maintain their Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) registration.

"Pharmacists are on the front lines of patient care, and this provision recognizes their critical role in addressing the opioid epidemic," said Michael D. Hogue, PharmD, FAPhA, FNAP, FFIP, executive vice president and CEO of APhA. "By enabling pharmacists to prescribe buprenorphine with appropriate training, we are expanding access to treatment and saving lives."

This legislation reauthorizes programs related to substance use disorder prevention, treatment, and recovery and takes effect retroactively as if enacted on December 29, 2022. States will still need to authorize pharmacists to prescribe buprenorphine before they can receive the CPE training.

This provision aligns with the goals of the Medication Access and Training Expansion (MATE) Act, —strongly supported by APhA—and builds on progress from the Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act, which eliminated the outdated X-waiver requirement, making it easier for pharmacists and other health care providers to prescribe buprenorphine and expand access to life-saving treatment.

This marks the first time APhA has been explicitly named in U.S. legislation—a unprecedented milestone for the profession of pharmacy.

APhA will provide additional details soon on how pharmacists can access the required CPE training through APhA and ACPE.

About APhA

APhA is the only organization advancing the entire pharmacy profession. From our headquarters in Washington, DC, APhA leads the pharmacy profession by supporting pharmacists, student pharmacists, and pharmacy technicians in their role optimizing medication use and patient health outcomes and ensuring patients have access to pharmacists' care. We do this through our strong and effective advocacy, top notch education, practice tools and resources, dissemination of evidence, and opportunities for members to engage and learn from each other. APhA is the pharmacy voice at the table in developing national guidelines, policies, and best practices that advance the profession and patient care. To learn more, visit www.pharmacist.com.

SOURCE American Pharmacists Association