The Privacy Rule For Addiction Treatment Is Final

In January, the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA) released its final changes to the Confidentiality of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Patient Records regulations (42 CFR Part 2, commonly refereed to as "Part 2") on how consumer records related to addiction treatment may be used and shared; the rule went into effect in February (see New SAMHSA Rule Clarifies Data Sharing For Addiction Treatment).

Under the updates to Part 2, addiction disorder programs that receive federal assistance may only release consumer identifying information with the individual's written consent, pursuant to a court order, or under a few . . .