Impact of the office of national drug control policy reauthorization act of 2006 on illicit drug use

The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) Reauthorization Act of 2006 reauthorized the ONDCP as the primary agency of U.S. federal drug control policy. The provisions of this act included a modification of the patient limits imposed on physicians who use buprenorphine therapy for opiate addiction, raising the cap from 30 to 100 patients per physician. Prescription opioid painkiller overdose rates quadrupled from 1999 to 2010, and prescription painkillers often serve as the gateway to other addictive substances. While advocates of buprenorphine point to its efficacy in safely reducing abuse of opioids including heroin, morphine, and prescription painkillers, other experts warn of the potential for misuse of the addiction treatment drug. This study investigated possible unintended consequences of the ONDCP Reauthorization Act of 2006 by estimating its impact on illicit drug use.