The Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) Training Program is self-guided, with online learning activities that have been created for pharmacists, physicians, and other advanced healthcare professionals who work or plan to work with medications for opioid use disorder.
The opioid crisis continues to take lives every day, yet evidence-based treatment remains underutilized. Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) are proven to save lives, reduce overdose risk, and support long-term recovery, but only when clinicians are prepared to use them effectively.
This training program equips healthcare professionals with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to deliver high-quality MOUD care across practice settings. Through practical, clinically relevant instruction, learners gain a deeper understanding of treatment principles, patient-centered approaches, and best practices for managing opioid use disorder.
Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) Training Program Requirement
Once a learner has completed the educational curriculum, they will have the opportunity to complete an online comprehensive exam. Once the learner passes the exam (minimum 80% passing rate; unlimited attempts permitted), they will earn the statement of completion and Credly badge for the training program.
The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education as a provider of continuing pharmacy education with Commendation.
The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
This self-paced, online training program is designed for pharmacists, physicians, and other advanced healthcare professionals responsible for or interested in managing patient care associated with medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD).
Describe how opioid receptor pharmacology (full agonist, partial agonist, antagonist) drives clinical decision-making in MOUD selection.
Compare methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone based on mechanism, initiation requirements, safety profile, and patient selection.
Apply evidence-based strategies to initiate and manage MOUD in fentanyl-dominant environments.
Use shared decision-making principles to individualize MOUD treatment plans.
Recognize special considerations for pregnancy, precipitated withdrawal, and relapse prevention.
Describe the history of opioid medication use.
Select appropriate dosing for a patient with opioid tolerance.
Identify methods to treat opioid use disorder while concurrently treating pain.
Explain opioid overdose management strategies and methods for naloxone rescue advocacy.
Distinguish between abuse, addiction, dependence, and tolerance.
Propose a strategy to maximize opioid safety specific to a patient with an indication for opioid analgesics.
Recognize potential aberrant drug taking behaviors of a real or simulated patient based on prescription drug monitoring review, drug screen, interpretation, and validated risk tools.
Identify the three FDA approved naloxone delivery methods for opioid overdose reversal.
Complex Patient Care ACPE: 0204-0000-26-778-H08-P Application-based 3.25 contact hours
Learning Objectives:
Recommend best practice opioid-associated care coordination and communication across interprofessional team service lines and treatment providers.
Differentiate patients appropriate for referral to pain management specialty care.
Apply methods to screen and engage patients with opioid use disorder in harm reduction and addiction treatment services.
Assess when difficult conversations may arise during patient care navigation for pain or substance misuse.
Develop strategies to engage in difficult conversations with patients about opioid use and substance misuse to optimize treatment outcomes.
Analyze the factors involved in deciding between buprenorphine, methadone, and naltrexone for treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD).
Differentiate patient care for initiating, maintaining, and troubleshooting buprenorphine for treatment of OUD.
Explain harm reduction implementation strategies for patients seeking OUD treatment.
Recommend an action plan for management of opioid overdose in a patient.
Explain five reasons why a clinician would need to switch a patient from one opioid regimen to another.
Define potency, equipotency, and bioavailability.
List the five-step process in opioid conversion calculations.
Calculate a conversion to a new opioid regimen, taking into consideration patient-specific variables including level of pain control.
Describe the pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic properties of methadone.
List five drugs that inhibit and five drugs that induce the metabolism of methadone.
List characteristics of appropriate and inappropriate candidates for methadone therapy.
Recommend a starting dose of methadone for specific patients.
Describe cardiac safety monitoring recommendations for methadone patients.
Describe the causes and treatments for chronic pain.
Apply educational strategies that inform patients and family members on the risks and side effects of opioids and reducing the potential for overdose.
Recommend population health management programs for patients with high-risk opioid therapy.
Describe the pharmacist practitioner role in safe pain care and opioid stewardship across interprofessional teams in acute and chronic care settings, including transitions of care.
Use evidence-based screening tools and population health strategies for identifying patients at risk for long-term opioid use, opioid use disorder (OUD), and potential overdose.
Design a clinical care process that incorporates OUD screening, brief intervention, and referral for treatment (SBIRT), as appropriate.
Vinh Dao, PharmD, BCPS Telepain Program Manager Veterans Affairs Medical Center Minneapolis, Minnesota
Corinne Dolan, PharmD, BCPS Director of Pharmacy Snoqualmie Valley Hospital Snoqualmie, Washington
Ann Garment, MD, FACP Clinical Associate Professor New York University School of Medicine - Health + Hospitals/Bellevue New York, New York
Christopher Herndon, PharmD, FASHP Professor Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Edwardsville, Illinois
Dara Johnson, PharmD, BCACP, BCPP Clinical Pharmacy Supervisor PGY-2 AMB Care Residency Program Director Clinical Pharmacy Specialist – Milwaukie FM OSU/OHSU Affiliate Faculty Providence Medical Group Portland, Oregon
Mary Lynn McPherson, PharmD, PhD, BCPS, FAAHPM Professor Executive Director, Graduate Studies in Palliative Care University of Maryland School of Pharmacy Baltimore, Maryland
In accordance with our accreditor’s Standards of Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education, ASHP requires that all individuals in control of content disclose all financial relationships with ineligible companies. An individual has a relevant financial relationship if they have had a financial relationship with an ineligible company in any dollar amount in the past 24 months and the educational content that the individual controls is related to the business lines or products of the ineligible company.
An ineligible company is any entity producing, marketing, re-selling, or distributing health care goods or services consumed by, or used on, patients. The presence or absence of relevant financial relationships will be disclosed to the activity audience.
No one in control of the content of this activity has a relevant financial relationship (RFR) with an ineligible company.
As defined by the Standards of Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education definition of ineligible company.
Each activity consists of audio, video, and/or PDFs and evaluations. Learners must review all content and complete the evaluations to receive continuing pharmacy education credit for each activity.
Follow the prompts to claim, view, or print the statement of credit within 60 days after completing the activity.
Participants must participate in the entire activity, complete the evaluation and all required components to claim credit online at ASHP Learning Center. Follow the prompts to claim credit and view your statement of credit within 60 days after completing the activity.
Important Note – ACPE 60 Day Deadline:
Per ACPE requirements, CPE credit must be claimed within 60 days of being earned. To verify that you have completed the required steps and to ensure your credits have been reported to CPE Monitor, check your NABP profile account to validate that your credits were transferred successfully before the ACPE 60-day deadline. After the 60-day deadline, ASHP will no longer be able to award credit for this activity.
