PCSS and The Office-Based Treatment of Opioid Dependence (Waiver Eligibility Training)

View PCSS and Waiver Eligibility Trainings

Sponsorship
This program is part of a national training initiative, which has been endorsed by the Federal Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) and is sponsored by the American Osteopathic Academy of Addiction Medicine. Physicians who successfully complete this 8-hour course will be eligible to request a waiver to practice medical-assisted addiction therapy with Buprenorphine, for the treatment of opioid dependence. Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants are required to train for a total of 24-hours, of which the 8-hours from this training can be applied. NPs and PAs are required to train for an additional 16-hours in order to be eligible to apply for the waiver. SAMHSA offers this training for free. Click here for info: NP and PA Waiver Training

PCSS is a collaborative effort led by the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry (AAAP) in partnership with the: Addiction Technology Transfer Center (ATTC); American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP); American Academy of Neurology (AAN); American Academy of Pain Medicine (AAPM); American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP); American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP); American College of Physicians (ACP); American Dental Association (ADA); American Medical Association (AMA); American Osteopathic Academy of Addiction Medicine (AOAAM); American Psychiatric Association (APA); American Psychiatric Nurses Association (APNA); American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM); American Society for Pain Management Nursing (ASPMN); Association for Medical Education and Research in Substance Abuse (AMERSA); International Nurses Society on Addictions (IntNSA); National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC); National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP), and the Southeast Consortium for Substance Abuse Training (SECSAT).

Program Overview
Training is available for those interested in seeking their waiver to prescribe buprenorphine in the treatment of opioid addiction. To obtain the waiver to prescribe, physicians are required to take 8-hours of training and NPs and PAs are required to take 24-hours of training. PCSS uses the Half-and-Half format where 4.25-hours of either a face-to-face training with an instructor or 4.25-hours of a live webcast training with an instructor make up the first half of the training and a 3.75-hour computer-based self-study make up the second half for a combined total of 8-hours of training. NPs and PAs are required to take an additional 16-hours of training for a total of 24-hours of training in order to be eligible for the waiver. 

1st Half of the Course
A face-to-face or live webcast, classroom-style training for a 4.25-hour session. The training focuses on specifics of treating patients with opioid use disorders in office-based settings and clinical vignettes to help trainees think through “real life” experiences in opioid use disorders treatment.

2nd Half of the Course
3.75 hours of on-your-own computer-based training on substance abuse treatment, opioids, and the use of buprenorphine in the treatment of opioid use disorders from office-based practices. An examination must be successfully completed to obtain a waiver for prescribing buprenorphine.

The combined online computer-study and face-to-face or live webcast training provides physicians the required 8 hours needed to obtain the waiver to prescribe buprenorphine in office-based treatment of opioid use disorder. It also provides NPs and PAs the 8-hours of training to be applied toward their 24-hours of required training time. NPs and PAs will be required to train for an additional 16 hours before they are eligible to apply for the waiver. SAMHSA offers this training for free (click here for info: NP and PA Waiver Training).  The participant will have 30 days after the 4.25-hour session to complete the computer study and examination. The AOAAM cannot verify completion of the webinar session or live session if less than 4.25 hours are attended. Should you not attend for the entire session, you will have to retake the 4.25-hour session again on a different date in order to receive credit. Please be aware that it is MANDATORY that you are able to view the presentation slides and participate in the interactive polling questions in order to verify webinar attendance. Phone attendance only does not qualify for webinar participation. Instructions on how to log on to the second half of the course will be provided via email to participants who complete the 4.25-hour session in its entirety.

Continuing Medical Education

Half and Half Training - Live Webcasts and Face-to-Face Formats
This program has been approved for 4.25 AOA Category 1-A CME credits providing all requirements have been met. This program has also been approved for 4.25 AAFP Prescribed Credit hours, by the American Academy of Family Physicians. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. AAFP Prescribed credit is accepted by the American Medical Association as equivalent to AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ toward the AMA Physician's Recognition Award. When applying for the AMA PRA, Prescribed credit earned must be reported as Prescribed credit, not as Category 1. Participants are required to attend the entire 4.25-hour session and participate in the polling questions and post-test (with a passing grade of 70%) in order to be eligible for CME credit. Please verify with the AOAAM for all CME details on the face-to-face trainings as the CME component differs for each individual training date and location. Other sponsoring organizations may be the accredited bodies offering the CME and not necessarily the AOAAM and therefore the type of CME may differ than what the AOAAM has been approved for.

8-Hour Training - Face-to-Face Training
This training has been reviewed and is acceptable for up to 8.00 Prescribed credit(s) by the American Academy of Family Physicians. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. AAFP Prescribed credit is accepted by the American Medical Association as equivalent to AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ toward the AMA Physician's Recognition Award. When applying for the AMA PRA, Prescribed credit earned must be reported as Prescribed credit, not as Category 1. The American Osteopathic Academy of Addiction Medicine (AOAAM) is accredited by the American Osteopathic Association to provide osteopathic continuing medical education for physicians. The AOAAM anticipates this program being approved for a maximum of 8.0 AOA Category 1-A credits and will report CME credits commensurate with the extent of the physician’s participation in this activity. Please check with the AOAAM for all CME details on each 8-Hour Face-to-Face training as this component differs for each individual training date and location. Other sponsoring organizations may be the accredited bodies offering the CME and not necessarily the AOAAM and therefore the type of CME may differ than what the AOAAM has been approved for.

Who Should Attend?
This program is recommended for primary care, pain management, psychiatric, HIV and addiction medicine physicians. Other medical professionals (non-physicians) are also invited but are not eligible for the waiver.

Program Goals and Objectives

GOAL #1: Train physicians in the workforce to provide treatment of opioid dependence.

GOAL #2: Provide clinical mentoring that emphasizes practical issues in the recognition and treatment of opioid dependence.  

GOAL #3: Provide advance training that addresses more complex issues in the treatment of those with substance use disorders, opioid dependence, and other mental or medical illnesses.

GOAL #4: Reduce prescription drug misuse and abuse through the education of current and future prescribers regarding appropriate prescribing practices for pain and other medications subject to abuse and misuse.

GOAL #5: Enhance prescribers’ and other health professionals’ knowledge, skills and attitudes regarding safe and effective use of medication assisted treatment of opioid dependence.

GOAL #6: Increase the flexibility of approaches by providers working in traditional treatment models to allow implementation of the medical model of addiction management, recognizing the importance of pharmacotherapy as the most effective strategy to prevent relapse to opioid dependence.

For More Information and FREE training and educational resources on Medication Assisted Treatment –Providers' Clinical Support System (PCSS) visit pcssnow.org.

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Waiver Eligibility Training