The federal Drug Abuse Treatment Act 2000 (DATA) effectively began an opportunity for patients with the disease of opiate addiction by providing high level access to options for drug treatment. Previously, only methadone clinics were available to treat opioid heroin pain killers addiction. DATA allows doctors to take a short specialty training course and become certified to prescribe suboxone. Buprenorphine has a brand name of Suboxone and certified doctors can be prescribe the treatment in a traditional office setting to stop withdrawals in patients with opioid dependence. Clinical studies show Suboxone maintenance is just as effective as methadone maintenance in retaining patients in substance abuse treatment and reducing addiction to pain killers. Sublingual suboxone is more effective than clonidine or clonidine/naltrexone in short-term opioid detoxification treatment. Suboxone also provides an additional tool to treat opioid addiction and improve the quality of lives of these patients. More physicians are needed to treat patients with addiction. DATA facilitates this by removing existing barriers and increasing access to treatment.