Buprenorphine is FDA approved for treating opioid use disorder (OUD) in patients ages 16 and older and is often used off-label in younger patients. As of January 2023, the X-waiver requirement has been eliminated, allowing any DEA-licensed prescriber to treat OUD with buprenorphine. DEA license renewal now requires either: 1) Graduation within the past five years, 2) board certification in addiction psychiatry or addiction medicine, or 3) eight hours of addiction training. A list of qualifying trainings is available here: www.tinyurl.com/4pa5h6ut. Verify state regulations, as they may impose additional restrictions, particularly for non-MD prescribers.

(Editor’s note: We strongly advise everyone to consider prescribing buprenorphine for teens who need it. The field will evolve, and new approaches will be developed, but for the time being, buprenorphine treatment can save many lives.)