One Time Requirement for Eight Hours of Substance Abuse Disorder Training
The United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) recently published the requirements for training for the Medication Access and Training Expansion (MATE) Act. These requirements are tied to practitioners’ initial or renewal DEA registration starting June 27, 2023, and the only exception is a practitioner that is solely a veterinarian.
Under the MATE Act, practitioners must complete at least eight hours of training on opioid or other substance use disorders, as well as the safe pharmacological management of dental pain. The education requirement can be met in one of three ways:
(1) a total of eight hours of training from a range of training entities on opioid or other substance use disorders;
(2) board certification in addiction medicine or addiction psychiatry from the American Board of Medical Specialties, American Board of Addiction Medicine, or the American Osteopathic Association; or
(3) graduation within the last five years and in good standing from a medical, advanced practice nursing, or physician assistant school in the United States that included an opioid or other substance use disorder curriculum of at least eight hours.
For practitioners who hope to qualify under the third option, the medical/dental/APN or PA curriculum must have included teaching on the treatment and management of patients with opioid and other substance use disorders, including the appropriate clinical use of all drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of a substance use disorder.
The training is a one-time training and the affirmation that the practitioner has completed the training will not be a part of future registration renewals after June 26, 2026, only the next scheduled DEA registration submission on or after June 27, 2023.
How to Satisfy the Training Requirement
For the practitioners who opt for the eight hours of training on opioid or other substance use disorders, the training does not have to occur in one session, it can be cumulative across multiple sessions, so long as the total number of hours equals eight hours of training. Additionally, past trainings on the treatment and management of patients with opioid or other substance use disorders can count toward the requirement and past DATA-Waived trainings count towards the eight hour requirement.
The DEA has noted that only certain groups may provide trainings that meet the requirement, including organizations accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) 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 ACCME or CCEPR. In addition, several medical associations and societies are permitted to provide trainings that meet the requirement, as are organizations otherwise approved or accredited by the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, the ACCME, or the CCEPR.
Clinical Care Options DEA MATE Act Requirements Course
At the time of publishing this article, Clinical Care Options and ProCE are developing an accredited course that will help practitioners meet the new DEA requirements.
SAMHSA Recommendations for Curricular Elements
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) also published recommendations for curricular elements in substance use disorders training. SAMHSA further noted that while the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use has the authority to approve specific training organizations for the purpose of this training, SAMHSA has opted to not “undertake a lengthy rulemaking process” for that at this time, as the agency estimates that more than 2,000 organizations may already be eligible to provide the training.
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