Final answer:
Under DATA 2000, physicians can treat opioid addiction with certain medications outside OTPs but are subject to patient caps, starting at 30 patients in the first year and potentially increasing with certain conditions.
Step-by-step explanation:
The DATA 2000 regulation allows qualified physicians to treat opioid addiction with Schedule III, IV, and V medications outside of an Opioid Treatment Program (OTP). However, under current regulations, physicians are limited to treating a maximum of 30 patients at a time during their first year of certification, which can be increased to 100 patients in subsequent years and up to 275 patients under certain conditions.
Exemptions to these patient limits are available for practitioners in certain settings, such as Qualified Practice Settings, which can provide a higher level of care. Moreover, the substance abuse treatment landscape is evolving, with recent policy changes aimed at expanding access to medication-assisted treatment (MAT) to address the opioid crisis.