Ensure your physicians are compliant with a new DEA requirement.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) recently introduced a one-time training requirement focused on treating and managing patients with opioid or other substance use disorders (SUDs). This resulted from Congress passing a budget bill that included the Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment (MAT) and Medication Access and Training Expansion (MATE) Acts.1 The MAT Act aims to expand access to medication-assisted treatment for SUDs, while the MATE Act’s goal is to improve the quality of care for patients with SUDs by requiring prescribers to complete training on treating and managing patients with opioid or other SUDs.2
The new requirement is part of a broader effort to address the opioid epidemic in the United States.
Why is this important?
The new DEA training requirement is a significant step forward in the fight against SUDs. SUDs are a major public health problem in the United States, with an estimated 46.3 million Americans aged 12 or older meeting the criteria for having a SUD in 2021.3 Opioid use disorders have been a major contributor to the epidemic of drug overdose deaths in the United States. In 2021, 106,699 drug overdose deaths occurred in the United States, with opioids involved in 80,411 of those overdose deaths.4
This training requirement will help clinicians better understand the risks associated with prescribing controlled substances and how to prevent SUDs. Below are some particulars.1
Who needs to comply?
As of June 27, 2023, the new requirement applies to almost all clinicians who prescribe controlled substances under a DEA registration, as well as those who are seeking a DEA registration to begin prescribing controlled substances.
What does the training entail?
The new training requirement calls for a total of 8 hours of continuing medical education on the prevention and treatment of opioid use disorder and other SUDs. The training does not have to be completed all at once nor be entirely focused on opioid use disorders. It does have to include training on all Food and Drug Administration-approved medications for treating SUDs. (Approved medications are currently available for alcohol, nicotine, and opioid use disorders.)
Where can I find appropriate training courses or materials?
The training can be completed online and is available from the federally funded Providers Clinical Support System.5 The American Medical Association also has free training on its website (edhub.ama-assn.org/course/302).
When is the training due?
The next time clinicians renew their DEA registration (or apply for one for the first time), they will be required to attest to having fulfilled the 8-hour training requirement or been part of an exempt group.1 Exempt groups include anyone who is board certified in addiction medicine or addiction psychiatry. Physicians who have a current DEA registration can continue to prescribe controlled substances without meeting the training requirement until their next renewal. Those who renewed shortly before the requirements took effect will have until 2026 to complete the training.1
Conclusion
Implementation of the new DEA training requirement represents a significant advancement in combating SUDs. The requirement will help clinicians better understand the risks associated with prescribing controlled substances and how to prevent SUDs. This one-time training may seem burdensome; however, it is an important part of a broader effort to address the opioid epidemic in the United States. Clinicians who prescribe controlled substances under a DEA registration should be aware of the new requirement and take steps to fulfill it before their next renewal. OP
References
1. Kowalchuk, A. New DEA training requirement: who has to do it, and how to get it done. FPM Journal. 2023. https://www.aafp.org/pubs/fpm/blogs/inpractice/entry/new-dea-requirement.html. Accessed February 2, 2024.
2. H.R.2067 - mate act of 2021 117th Congress (2021-2022). Congress.Gov. October 19, 2021. https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/2067/text. Accessed February 2, 2024.
3. Drug overdose deaths. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. August 22, 2023. https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/deaths/index.html. Accessed February 2, 2024.
4. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). SAMHSA announces National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) results detailing mental illness and substance use levels in 2021. HHS.gov. January 4, 2023. https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2023/01/04/samhsa-announces-national-survey-drug-use-health-results-detailing-mental-illness-substance-use-levels-2021. Accessed February 2, 2024.
5. Providers clinical support system (PCSS). SAMHSA. August 4, 2022. https://www.samhsa.gov/providers-clinical-support-system-pcss. Accessed February 2, 2024.
