Stating findings of the Legislature and requesting that Congress take action necessary to make buprenorphine more accessible to patients.

Suboxone is a drug that alleviates withdrawal symptoms in patients suffering from opioid addiction. This kind of treatment normalizes brain chemistry and relieves physiological cravings, effectively allowing patients to focus on recovery and build healthier lifestyles. Suboxone has few adverse side effects and minimal potential for abuse. Unfortunately, federal law creates barriers for medical practitioners who wish to prescribe Suboxone (known generically as buprenorphine). This Joint Memorial seeks to remove those barriers so that opioid treatment drugs can be as readily available as the opioids themselves. The United States Senate, the United States House of Representatives, and Idaho's Congressional Delegation are requested to amend 21 U.S.C. 823 and other provisions of federal law as necessary to allow widespread access to Suboxone. This Joint Memorial was crafted with statistics provided by the Idaho Office of Drug Policy to illustrate the urgency of the crisis relating to opioid overdoses in Idaho and the United States.