DEA Releases Guidance on New Substance Use Disorder Training Requirement
The Drug Enforcement Agency recently released guidance on new federal substance use disorder training requirements for clinicians registered with the DEA to prescribe controlled substances.
All clinicians, from new graduates to practicing clinicians, will be affected because they will all need to register with the DEA to attest they have completed the one-time training requirement either upon their initial registration or renewal of their registration. The policy will be effective as of June 27, 2023.
As a component of the fiscal year 2023 omnibus law, Congress eliminated the waiver necessary to prescribe buprenorphine in office-based settings for the treatment of opioid use disorder. In lieu of this requirement, the law instead requires all DEA-registered providers to complete eight hours of training on the treatment and management of patients with substance use disorders.
The training requirement can be met either through the completion of a health professions program within the past five years or through a dedicated program provided by outside organizations with expertise in substance use disorder issues.
Importantly, this new guidance does not impose any new curriculum documentation requirements upon member programs as all registrants will indicate their completion of the training requirement by attestation.
The full guidance issued by the DEA can be found on their website. Members with questions on this requirement are invited to contact Tyler Smith at tsmith@PAEAonline.org.
