ON THE FRONT LINE OF A CRISIS: Improving the Care and Education of Patients with Opioid Use Disorder

Opioid use disorder (OUD) continues to claim a significant number of US lives each year, and that number is predicted to escalate in the years to come. All healthcare practitioners (HCPs) – including physicians, nurses, and pharmacists – on the interdisciplinary OUD management team have major roles to play in combating the opioid epidemic. However, knowledge and practice gaps remain related to the appropriate use of opioids for pain and medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for OUD. A multidisciplinary approach to care is also underutilized, increasing the strain on primary care providers. ON THE FRONT LINE OF A CRISIS: Improving the Care and Education of Patients with Opioid Use Disorder will help participants responsibly prescribe and dispense opioid therapies, educate their patients on these therapies, and provide quality care and education related to MAT for their patients with OUD.

EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES - At the conclusion of this activity, participants should be able to demonstrate the ability to:

- Implement HCP-led strategies to optimize the prescribing of, dispensing of, and education on opioids
- Integrate the latest Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) MAT recommendations into OUD patient care plans