The Medication Access and Training Expansion (MATE) Act went live June 27 and requires all DEA-registered providers to complete eight hours of training on opioid or other substance use disorders prior to renewal of their DEA License. The exclusions include all practitioners graduating in good standing within the last 5 years, board-certified addiction specialists, and those with prior X-waivers.
As a semi-retired physician who still provides locum tenens services in the SNF and clinic settings, I searched for CME options that would improve my expertise in this area of medicine.
On May 3, 2023 AMDA - The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine, provided an excellent webinar (free to members) on Substance Use Disorder and Buprenorphine Prescribing in the PALTC setting (https://apex.paltc.org/course/view.php?id=1590&pageid=4220 ).
Slides 54-57 of May 22, 2023, CALTCM’s webinar on Disaster Preparedness included information from Dr. Javaheri on the MATE Act. The CALTCM May 22, 2023 webinar is accessible to our members online, click here for access. One free 8-hour training that caught my eye can be found at Provider Clinical Support System: https://pcssnow.org/medications-for-opioid-use-disorder.
SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) leads public health efforts to advance the behavioral health of the nation. I reviewed their website and found robust Practitioner Training options, but none specific for fulfilling the MATE act.
The AMA Ed Hub (Substance Use Disorders and Addiction Education to Meet New DEA Requirements | AMA Ed Hub (ama-assn.org) has a menu of 58 units of free CME allowing a provider to customize the areas of learning important to their area of medical practice. Membership is not required, but a login credential needs to be obtained.
I did find other commercial options for meeting this CME requirement, but in the end decided to use the NEJM Knowledge + website (Pain Management and Opioids - NEJM Knowledge+). This is a free program that is frequently updated and uses a case-based learning strategy that’s peppered with links to practical tools, algorithms, and resources. It also tracks your incorrect answers for retesting at the end of the program. I am now much more comfortable managing pain and substance use disorders. I’ve made a flash drive of the algorithms, tools, and resources to install on computers in sites I’ll be working at in the future.
With pain and substance abuse so common in our communities, we ought to be part of the solution by improving easy access to team based competent care for our patients suffering from serious pain and substance abuse disorders. This also allows all of us to initiate (or continue) prescriptions for buprenorphine not only for pain, but also to treat opioid use disorder. Prescribers should be aware that unlike with other types of medication, tapering and discontinuation of buprenorphine is generally contraindicated, as it can trigger relapses. I encourage all providers in our settings of care to improve their expertise soon, rather than waiting several months or even years before DEA license renewal.