National strategy recommendations

Improve training for diagnosis and treatment of addiction

Diverse Workforce
Topics
Professional Training
social determinants of health
No items found.
Population
No items found.
Coverage & Standards
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Federal department
Health and Human Services
Veterans Affairs
Defense
house committees
House Energy and Commerce Committee
House Ways and Means Committee
House Veterans' Affairs Committee
House Armed Services Committee
senate committees
Senate Foreign Relations Committee
Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee
Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee
Senate Armed Services Committee

Recommendation

All federally-supported medical, nursing, and other clinician training programs should be required to incorporate training on the diagnosis and treatment of addiction into their curricula.[1]

Background/summary

The ongoing addiction crisis highlights the need for health professionals to receive training on substance use disorders (SUDs).[2] According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, “[i]ncorporating training on SUD into routine healthcare will enable practitioners to screen more widely for SUDs, treat pain appropriately, prevent substance misuse, and engage people in life-saving interventions.”[2][3] In conjunction with its repeal of the harmful requirement that prescribers have a separate waiver (the X-waiver) to prescribe lifesaving buprenorphine, the 2023 Medication Access and Training Expansion (MATE) Act requires Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) registered practitioners to complete eight hours of training on opioid and SUD prevention, treatment, and care.[2][3][4] All federally funded medical training programs (e.g., federal graduate medical education (GME) programs) should include similar training requirements.

citations

1. The Kennedy Forum. Recommendations of Congressman Patrick J. Kennedy to the President’s Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis. Last Updated October 2017.

2. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Recommendations for Curricular Elements in Substance Use Disorders Training. Last Updated April 24, 2023.

3. Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education. The Medication Access and Training Expansion (MATE) Act. Last Updated April 5, 2023.

4. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Training Requirements (MATE Act) Resources. Last Updated July 5, 2023.

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