On June 27, 2023, a new one-time requirement will go into effect for all DEA prescribers to complete 8 hours of education on the treatment of management of patients with opioid or other substance use disorder.
The team at the Allegheny County Medical Society has worked with the DEA to put together some information and FAQ’s regarding the new training requirement.
FAQ’s
What is the MATE Act and what does it mean for accredited continuing education?
The DEA now requires that the nearly 2 million DEA licensees nationally demonstrate that they have completed 8 hours of relevant accredited education before they obtain a new license or renew their current licenses.
What is the goal for the new requirement?
“Given the urgency of the nation’s overdose crisis, the importance of practitioners receiving training in substance use disorders (SUD) cannot be overstated. Incorporating training on SUD into routine healthcare will enable practitioners to screen more widely for substance use disorders, treat pain appropriately, prevent substance misuse, and engage people in life-saving interventions.” -SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)
Who is responsible for satisfying this new training requirement?
All DEA-registered practitioners, with the exception of practitioners that are solely veterinarians.
How will practitioners be asked to report satisfying this new training requirement?
Beginning on June 27, 2023, practitioners will be required to check a box on their online DEA registration form – regardless of whether a registrant is completing their initial registration application or renewing their registration – affirming that they have completed the new training requirement.
What clinicians are deemed to have already satisfied this training requirement?
Physicians who are board-certified in addiction medicine or addiction psychiatry.
Practitioners who have graduated from their professional school within 5 years of June 27, 2023 or 5 years of their license renewal following June 27, 2023, and completed a curriculum that included at least eight hours of coursework regarding SUD during that time.
Practitioners who previously took training to meet the requirements of the DATA-2000 waiver to prescribe buprenorphine can count this training towards the 8-hour training requirements.
What is the deadline for satisfying this new training requirement?
The deadline for satisfying this new training requirement is the date of a practitioner’s next scheduled DEA registration submission – regardless of whether it is an initial registration or a renewal registration – on or after June 27, 2023.
This one-time training requirement affirmation will not be a part of future registration renewals.
Providers whose renewal expires June 30th and renew between now and June 26 will have to attest upon their next renewal, three years later.
How can practitioners satisfy this new training requirement?
There are multiple ways that practitioners can satisfy this new training requirement.
First, the following groups of practitioners are deemed to have satisfied this training:
- Group 1: All practitioners that are board certified in addiction medicine or addiction psychiatry from the American Board of Medical Specialties, the American Board of Addiction Medicine, or the American Osteopathic Association.
- Group 2: All practitioners that graduated in good standing from a medical (allopathic or osteopathic), dental, physician assistant, or advanced practice nursing school in the United States within five years of June 27, 2023, and successfully completed a comprehensive curriculum that included at least eight hours of training on:
- treating and managing patients with opioid or other substance use disorders, including the appropriate clinical use of all drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of a substance use disorder; or
- safe pharmacological management of dental pain and screening, brief intervention, and referral for appropriate treatment of patients with or at risk of developing opioid and other substance use disorders.
Second, practitioners can satisfy this training by engaging in a total of eight hours of training on treatment and management of patients with opioid or other substance use disorders from the groups listed below. A few key points related to this training:
- The training does not have to occur in one session. It can be cumulative across multiple sessions that equal eight hours of training.
- Past trainings on the treatment and management of patients with opioid or other substance use disorders can count towards a practitioner meeting this requirement. In other words, if you received relevant training from one of the groups listed below – prior to the enactment of this new training obligation on December 29, 2022 – that training counts towards the eight-hour requirement.
- Past DATA-Waived trainings count towards a DEA registrant’s 8-hour training requirement.
- Trainings can occur in a variety of formats, including classroom settings, seminars at professional society meetings, or virtual offerings.
What accredited groups may provide trainings that meet this new requirement?
- The American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry (AAAP)
- American Medical Association (AMA)
- The American Osteopathic Association (AOA), or any organizations accredited by the AOA to provide continuing medical education
- The American Dental Association (ADA)
- The American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS)
- The American Psychiatric Association (APA)
- The American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP)
- The American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA)
- The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC)
- Any other organization accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (AACCME) or the Commission for Continuing Education Provider Recognition (CCEPR), whether directly or through an organization accredited by a State medical society that is recognized by the ACCME or CCEPR
- Any other organization approved or accredited by the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, the ACCME, or the CCEPR
What is the difference between the MAT Act and the MATE Act?
MAT Act: Removes the waiver requirement to prescribe buprenorphine for opioid use disorder
With this provision, and effective immediately, SAMHSA will no longer be accepting NOIs (waiver applications). All practitioners who have a current DEA registration that includes Schedule III authority, may now prescribe buprenorphine for Opioid Use Disorder in their practice if permitted by applicable state law and SAMHSA encourages them to do so.
MATE Act: Requires prescribers of controlled substances to complete an 8-hour SUD training upon renewing or receiving their DEA license
Effective June 27, 2023 new or renewing DEA registrants will be required to have 8 hours of training on opioid or other substance use disorders, as well as the safe pharmacological management of dental pain, through an accredited source. The DATA-2000 waiver training to prescribe buprenorphine counts towards this requirement. Training hours do not have to be completed in one session and can be satisfied through cumulative sessions.
Who can I contact with questions?
ACMS/PAMED will continue to keep you informed as this guidance evolves. If you have questions please contact [email protected] or [email protected]
Questions for the DEA? Contact [email protected].
Additional information can be found by visiting https://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/