ASAM National Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder

Course overview

Course Description: Opioid use disorder (OUD) is a complex chronic brain disease with profound public health consequences, including hundreds of thousands of overdose deaths in the United States over the past two decades. This course is based on the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) 2020 National Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder and covers the full scope of evidence-based assessment and treatment for OUD. Participants will explore the epidemiology and diagnostic criteria for OUD, conduct comprehensive clinical evaluations, and apply guideline-based pharmacotherapy using methadone, buprenorphine, naltrexone, and naloxone. The course also addresses psychosocial treatment modalities including motivational interviewing, cognitive behavioral therapy, and contingency management, as well as the application of ASAM guidelines in complex special populations such as pregnant women, adolescents, individuals with co-occurring disorders, patients with chronic pain, and those involved in the criminal justice system. This course on the treatment of opioid use disorder is designed for social workers, professional counselors, psychologists, nurses, and substance abuse counselors, who do clinical work. This course is appropriate for intermediate and advanced level practitioners who wish to develop or increase their knowledge of evidence-based pharmacotherapy and psychosocial interventions for opioid use disorder. It may also be useful for licensed clinicians who require clinical continuing education courses for license renewal. Authors: American Society of Addiction Medicine Learning Objectives: This course will provide a professional with detailed information about the ASAM 2020 National Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder. Specifically, the practitioner will: Describe the epidemiology, diagnostic criteria, and biopsychosocial factors associated with opioid use disorder as defined by the ASAM 2020 National Practice Guideline. Identify the components of a comprehensive clinical assessment for opioid use disorder, including medical history, laboratory testing, psychiatric evaluation, and co-occurring substance use screening. Compare the pharmacological mechanisms, indications, contraindications, dosing protocols, and monitoring requirements for methadone in the treatment of opioid use disorder. Compare the pharmacological mechanisms, indications, contraindications, dosing protocols, and monitoring requirements for buprenorphine formulations in the treatment of opioid use disorder. Explain the use of naltrexone and naloxone in opioid use disorder treatment, including patient selection, dosing, risks of relapse after discontinuation, and overdose reversal protocols. Describe psychosocial treatment approaches used in conjunction with pharmacotherapy for opioid use disorder, including goals, components, and evidence for specific interventions. Apply ASAM guidelines to the treatment of opioid use disorder in special populations including pregnant women, adolescents, individuals with co-occurring psychiatric disorders, those with chronic pain, and individuals in the criminal justice system. Citation: American Society of Addiction Medicine. (2020). National practice guideline for the treatment of opioid use disorder: 2020 focused update. Journal of Addiction Medicine, 14(2S Suppl 1), 191. https://doi.org/10.1097/ADM.0000000000000633