Addressing Opioid Use Disorder in General Medical Settings

Course overview

Course Description: Part Two of this Treatment Improvement Protocol guides the efforts of practitioners to identify, assess, and treat or refer patients with opioid use disorder in general medical settings. Screening tools, diagnostic assessment tools, and the use of lab tests to inform treatment planning are covered. Healthcare professionals who work in general medical settings address most personal healthcare needs, develop sustained partnerships with patients, and practice in the context of family and community. Thus, they have a good basis from which to understand patient needs related to OUD screening, assessment, and treatment or referral to specialty treatment. This course is based upon material published in the SAMHSA Treatment Improvement Protocol 63 and is available as an open access article. This course on opioid use disorder treatment is designed for social workers, professional counselors, psychologists, nurses, and substance abuse counselors, who do clinical work. This course is appropriate for beginning, intermediate and advanced level practitioners who wish to develop their understanding of treatments for opioid use disorder. The course material includes a review of treatment settings. It may also be useful for licensed clinicians who require clinical continuing education courses for license renewal. Authors: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, a division of the United States Department of Health and Human Services Learning Objectives: This course will provide the practitioner with detailed information regarding medications used to treat opioid use disorder. Specifically, a professional will: Describe available screening tools for alcohol, tobacco, and other substance misuse Identify methods for determining whether substance use meets diagnostic criteria for substance use disorder Recognize lab tests important in treatment planning Citation: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Medications for Opioid Use Disorder. Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) Series 63, Part 2: Addressing Opioid Use Disorder in General Medical Settings. HHS Publication No. (SMA) 18-5063PT2. Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2018.