This 8-hour online training meets the Federal training requirement of the Drug Addiction Treatment Act of 2000 (DATA 2000). Completion will allow qualified physicians to apply for a waiver to their Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) license, and thus to provide office-based treatment of opioid use disorder with buprenorphine. 

Development of this training was supported by National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 

Note: This is an online version. If you've completed the book-based training and need to claim CME credit it is available here. 

Program Agenda

This course is part of APA’s On Demand Plus format, which offers a deeper exploration of material through rich content and enhanced features.  On Demand Plus courses are multi-modular and are typically completed over a longer time period.  The agenda includes:

• Module 1: Overview of Opioid Use Disorder and Federal Legislation Guiding Medication Assisted Treatment
• Module 2: Pharmacology of Medication Assisted Treatment
• Module 3: Getting Started with Medication Assisted Treatment
• Module 4: Moving Beyond the Basics

Educational Objectives

• Discuss the rationale and need for medication-assisted treatment of opioid use disorder.
• Apply the pharmacological characteristics of opioids in clinical practice.
• Describe buprenorphine protocols for all phases of treatment and for optimal patient/treatment matching.
• Describe the legislative and regulatory requirements of office-based opioid pharmacotherapy.
• Discuss treatment issues and management of opioid use disorder in adolescents, pregnant women, and patients with acute and/or chronic pain.

Target Audience

• Physicians interested in completing the training requirement for CSAT certification to qualify for the waiver authority from the requirements of the Controlled Substances Act
• Physicians interested in learning more about office-based prescribing of buprenorphine for the treatment of opioid use disorder

Estimated Time to Complete

Estimated Duration: 8 Hours
Program Start Date: January 22, 2024
Program End Date: January 22, 2027

How to Earn Credit

Participants who wish to earn AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ or a certificate of participation may do so by completing all sections of the course including the evaluation. A multiple-choice quiz is provided based on the content. A passing score of 80% must be achieved. Retakes are available for the test. After evaluating the program, course participants will be provided with an opportunity to claim hours of participation and print an official CME certificate (physicians) or certificate of participation (non-physicians) showing the completion date and hours earned. 

Please note that the certificate of completion is NOT your Buprenorphine Waiver, it is only your CME credit certificate. Instructions will be provided at the end of the activity as to how to apply for your DEA x-license waiver.

Continuing Education Credit

The American Psychiatric Association (APA) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians. The APA designates this enduring CME activity for a maximum of 8.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

The APA is one of the DATA2000 organizations that can provide the 8-hour training for physicians needed to obtain the waiver to prescribe buprenorphine. This online learning and complementary assessment has been designed to meet these training requirements. 

Faculty and Planner Disclosures

Faculty and Planners 

• Tristan Gorrindo, M.D., Director of Education, American Psychiatric Association. Reports no financial relationships with commercial interests
• Petros Levounis, M.D., M.A., Professor and Chair, Department of Psychiatry, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, and Chief of Service, University Hospital. Reports no financial relationships with commercial interests. 
• John A. Renner Jr., M.D., Professor of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, and Associate Chief of Psychiatry, VA Boston Healthcare System. Disclosure: Stockholder: Johnson & Johnson, General Electric.
• Andrew Saxon, M.D., University of Washington. Disclosure: Consultant - Neurocrine Biosciences; Grant/Research: Medicasafe Inc.; Other: UoToDate Inc. 

Program Reviewer 

• John A. Renner Jr., M.D., Professor of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, and Associate Chief of Psychiatry, VA Boston Healthcare System. Disclosure: Stockholder: Johnson & Johnson, General Electric .

Technical Requirements

This internet-based CME activity is best experienced using any of the following:

• The latest and 2nd latest public versions of Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Safari
• Internet Explorer 11+

This Web site requires that JavaScript and session cookies be enabled. Certain activities may require additional software to view multimedia, presentation, or printable versions of the content. These activities will be marked as such and will provide links to the required software. That software may be: Adobe Flash, Adobe Acrobat Reader, Microsoft PowerPoint, and Windows Media Player.

Optimal System Configuration:

• Browser: Google Chrome (latest and 2nd latest version), Safari (latest and 2nd latest version), Internet Explorer 11.0+, Firefox (latest and 2nd latest version), or Microsoft Edge (latest and 2nd latest version)
• Operating System: Windows versions 8.1+, Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) +, Android (latest and 2nd latest version), or iOS/iPad OS (latest and 2nd latest version)
• Internet Connection: 1 Mbps or higher

Minimum Requirements:

• Windows PC: Windows 8.1 or higher; 1 GB (for 32-bit)/2 GB (for 64-bit) or higher RAM; Microsoft DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM driver; audio playback with speakers for programs with video content
• Macintosh: Mac OS X 10.5 or higher with latest updates installed; Intel, PowerPC G5, or PowerPC G4 (867MHz or faster) processor; 512 MB or higher RAM; audio playback with speakers for programs with video content

For assistance: Contact educme@psych.org for questions about this activity | Contact learningcenter@psych.org for technical assistance

Accessibility for Participants with Disabilities

The American Psychiatric Association is committed to ensuring accessibility of its website to people with disabilities. If you have trouble accessing any of APA’s online resources, please contact us at 202-559-3900 for assistance.