The drug-overdose epidemic is one of the major challenges facing America’s health care system. A new suite of modules from the AMA GME Competency Education Program equips resident physicians with the knowledge to save lives on the front lines while complying with Medication Access and Training Expansion (MATE) Act.
Despite significant concerns about unintended consequences that the AMA expressed (PDF) to the U.S. Senate last year, the MATE Act includes a new, one-time eight-hour training requirement issued by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) on treating and managing patients with opioid or other substance-use disorders.
Complying with the MATE Act
The deadline for physicians to satisfy this new training requirement is the date of their next scheduled DEA-registration submission—regardless of whether it is an initial registration or a renewal registration—on or after June 27 of this year.
By completing this training, physicians will be able to simply check a box on their DEA-registration application or renewal form indicating that they have satisfied this training requirement. The training does not have to happen in one session, and past trainings on the treatment and management of patients with opioid or other substance-use disorders can be used to meet the new DEA requirement.
Necessary knowledge
The AMA GME Competency Education Program made the “MATE Act: DEA Training Requirements” curriculum available to help resident physicians comply with those requirements, complete with assignment and reporting capabilities.
These seven courses below help resident physicians meet the eight-hour training requirement.
“MATE Act Compliance: Prescribing Opioids.” This course offers a baseline understanding of the understanding of the risks involved with prescribing opioids, the science behind how they work, and proper uses for the medication, among other topics.
“Essentials of Good Pain Care: A Team-Based Approach.” Gives guidance on how physicians and their practice teams can work together to more safely manage chronic pain in partnership with their patients.
“Using Opioids Safely: Practical Guidance for Pain Management.” Covers the purpose and practices for universal precautions for opioid prescribing.
“Understanding Pain and Conducting a Pain Assessment: Practical Guidance for Pain Management.” This course details classifications of pain, strategies for assessing pain and approaches for mental health assessment as it relates to pain.
“Taking Responsibility in Minnesota: A Physician's Toolkit to Reverse the Drug Overdose Epidemic.” This module outlines resources to make pain treatment safer and more effective, along with guidance on treatment of substance-use disorders and recovery supports for people with opioid-use disorder.
“Racial/Ethnic, Social, and Geographic Trends in Overdose-Associated Cardiac Arrests Observed by US Emergency Medical Services During the COVID-19 Pandemic.” This course highlights the need for investments in overdose prevention as an essential element of the post-pandemic recovery, particularly for marginalized communities.
“Methadone Access for Opioid-Use Disorder During the COVID-19 Pandemic Within the United States and Canada.” This module details the importance of timely methadone access for opioid-use disorder and how changes to the U.S. opioid treatment program model are needed to improve the timeliness of access.
This curated selection of courses falls within a ready-to-assign curriculum that fulfills the eight-hour requirement. Program administrators from subscribing GME institutions can simply assign these courses to their learners and know that they have the education to fulfill the new requirement, and on the back end they can track course completions to ensure compliance.
For GME entities that aren’t yet subscribed, find out about new ways to help you easily and effectively manage residents and accelerate learning with the AMA GME Competency Education Program.
The AMA believes that science, evidence and compassion must continue to guide patient care and policy change as the nation’s opioid epidemic evolves into a more dangerous and complicated illicit drug overdose epidemic. Discover more at the AMA’s End the Epidemic website.
