Substance Use Disorders Training

This hybrid course with on-site (6.5 hours lectures) and self-paced (1.5 hours reading assignment) is structured to satisfy the new DEA requirement for any practitioner with a DEA license or new applicants for the same. The objective for this new DEA requirement, as per the DEA website, is to “promote understanding of SUDs as well as their identification, treatment and management”. This went into effect on June 27, 2023.

Topics to be covered include, but not limited to:

• Neuroanatomy and Neurophysiology of Pain, Substance abuse and addiction: pain pathways, pain mechanisms; neurons; receptors; types of pain.
• Substance abuse and addiction: terminology and definitions; drugs of abuse and addiction; identifying the risk factors; and who is prone?
• Epidemiology of SUD and addiction: Global; US states and local; age, gender, race, geographic predilection, and others.
• Evaluating analgesic studies and the Opioid Analgesic Reduction Study (OARS study.)
• Principles of sound pain management: safe pharmacological management of dental pain; acute and chronic pain.
• Neurophysiology and pharmacology of substance abuse and addiction: neurotransmitters; reward pathways; brain centers of substance use and addiction
• Pharmacologic management of substance use disorder: medications and regimens commonly used for SUD: opioids, alcohol, tobacco, others. Reversal agents
• Referral: who, when, to whom? Follow up and what to avoid in a de-addicted person.

Reading Assignment

Literature review/ self-study. Upon registration, a PDF of 8 to 10 articles, with instructions, will be emailed for home study. This portion is worth 1.5 credit hours.

At the completion of the course, you will be able to:

• Understand the basics of pain physiology, mechanisms, and principles of sound pain management.
• Learn to identify patients with the potential for substance use disorders and prevention of SUD.
• Learn safe pharmacological management of dental pain.
• Understand the basics of pharmacology of the treatment of SUDs.
• Know the fundamentals of reversal agents, de-addiction, and rehabilitation.
• Learn how and when to refer these patients and to whom.