Patients with substance use disorders (SUD) represent an underserved demographic, often lacking access to qualified healthcare providers for their specialized needs. The recent removal of the X-waiver for buprenorphine prescribing in opioid use disorder (OUD) opens new avenues for medical practitioners to contribute to solving this crisis. Despite this regulatory easing, reluctance persists among providers largely due to gaps in knowledge surrounding buprenorphine’s pharmacology, prescribing guidelines, and management.

This course aims to bridge that knowledge gap by covering the fundamentals of buprenorphine prescribing and its outcomes. Using a blend of didactic instruction and case-based discussions, the course empowers healthcare professionals to confidently integrate buprenorphine into their practice, thereby expanding treatment access for this vulnerable patient population.

At the conclusion of this continuing education activity, the participant will be able to:

1. Identify the current gaps in care for the treatment of patients with opioid use disorder (OUD)
2. Describe current treatment recommendations, including non-pharmacologic options, when treating patients with opioid use disorder, with a focus on buprenorphine prescribing
3. Discuss pertinent monitoring and legal responsibilities for the use of buprenorphine therapy for patients with OUD

AchieveCE is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education as a provider of continuing pharmacy education. AchieveCE is also accredited by the Florida Board of Pharmacy (provider no. 50-20641).

AchieveCE is designated as an Approved PACE Program Provider by the Academy of General Dentistry. The formal continuing education programs of this program provider are accepted by the AGD for Fellowship/Mastership and membership maintenance credit. Approval does not imply acceptance by a state or provincial board of dentistry or AGD endorsement. The current term of approval extends from September 1, 2022 to August 31, 2025. Provider ID# 386503.

AchieveCE is an approved provider of nursing continuing professional development by the Georgia Nurses Association, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.

AchieveCE is also an approved provider by various state boards. Find the complete list here.

Bennett Doughty, PharmD, BCPS, BCPP earned his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy. Following graduation, Doughty completed two years of residency training at the VA Connecticut Healthcare System in West Haven, CT, specializing in psychiatric pharmacy.

Doughty joined the Binghamton School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences in 2018 as a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice. He also serves as a clinical psychiatric pharmacy specialist at the Guthrie Robert Packer Hospital in Sayre, Pa., where he has created an integrated outpatient psychiatric clinic within primary care.

Bennett Doughty, PharmD, BCPS, BCPP, is a paid speaker for Otsuka’s PsychU Program.

Pete Kreckel, RPh, planner for this educational event, also has no relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

All of the relevant financial relationships listed for these individuals have been mitigated.

  Level 2. Basic Application of Skills and Concepts