According to the 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, approximately 3.8 million people (1.4% of those ages 12 or older) reported misusing prescription pain relievers, while another 329,000 people reported using heroin. Within the same year, 52,404 lethal overdoses took place, making drug overdose the leading cause of accidental death within the United States. Stancliff et al estimated that as of 2012, approximately 80% of people dependent on heroin or prescription opioids were not engaged in any treatment and many in treatment do not use the most effective medication-assisted treatments available to them.

Despite recent increased awareness of opioid use disorder (OUD) and efforts to improve access to care, several barriers to treatment still exist, including financial, geographic, regulatory, and social. In 2012, only 2.2% of physicians in the United States obtained waivers to prescribe buprenorphine for the treatment of OUD. Of those who received waivers, 41.6% were psychiatrists. This may be perceived as a potential barrier to OUD treatment as patients are often resistant to referrals to psychiatric and/or addiction clinics given the stigmas commonly surrounding addiction and mental health. Furthermore, physicians with waivers were found to practice primarily in urban settings, leaving a large portion of the rural population without access to buprenorphine treatment.

With all this in mind, education is needed in regards to current and emerging treatment options for OUD available to multiple patient populations. Also, with the deaths due to drug overdoses still elevated, education on how to recognize and reverse an opioid overdose is needed.

This presentation will address the above needs by discussing the science behind opioid use disorder as well as reflect upon current statistics associated with its impact on the United States. During the discussion, opioid overdose risks will be discussed and participants will be able to practice recognizing key symptoms of an overdose situation. Steps of using naloxone will be discussed and connected to how to appropriately seek out treatment for maintenance of opioid use disorder. Finally, new buprenorphine products and the potential role of naltrexone will be applied to this stigmatized population.

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

1. Discuss the pertinent nature of opioid use/abuse throughout the United States
2. Describe how to recognize and treat an opioid/heroin overdose
3. Describe currently indicated pharmacologic treatment options for opioid withdrawal, detoxification, and maintenance, including new agents now on the market
4. Identify and discuss new treatment options for opioid use disorder

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

1. Discuss the pertinent nature of opioid use/abuse throughout the United States
2. Describe how to recognize and treat an opioid/heroin overdose
3. Describe risks associated with an opioid/heroin overdose
4. List current and upcoming treatment options for opioid use disorder

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). This course is approved by CE Broker, with CE Broker No. 20-846427.

This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint providership of Continuing Education Company, Inc. and AchieveCE. Continuing Education Company, Inc. is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Continuing Education Company, Inc. designates this enduring material for a maximum of 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits^TM. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

AchieveCE is accredited through the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD) with 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. GNA Approved Provider Number is 4003268.

Bennett Doughty, PharmD, BCPS, BCPP earned his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy in 2016. Following graduation, Doughty completed two years of residency training at the VA Connecticut Healthcare System in West Haven, Conn., specializing in psychiatric pharmacy.

This activity was developed by AchieveCE free of any commercial support. Bennett Doughty, PharmD, BCPS, BCPP, faculty for this educational event, has no relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose. Jaimini Patel, RPh, and Pete Kreckel, RPh, planners for this educational event, also have no relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

  Level 2. Basic Application of Skills and Concepts