Authorizing nurse practitioners and physician assistants to prescribe medication-assisted treatment (MAT) has the potential to expand Americans’ access to opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment, as nurse practitioners are more likely to serve rural and Medicaid-eligible populations than physicians, and physician assistants specialize in expanding physicians’ practice.

This report helps to understand how the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) has affected nurse practitioners and physician assistants, their perspectives on providing MAT, and their barriers to providing MAT.