Skip to main content
Continuing Education - Continuing Professional Development for Today's Healthcare Professionals
  •  

Balancing Regulatory Requirements and Clinical Considerations in Opioid Use Disorder


 

Overview

This online continuing education course focuses on strengthening legal and regulatory competencies among health professionals who provide care to individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD), an area of practice that clinicans rarely receive formal training despite its significant impact on patient outcomes and access to care. The modules explore challenges that health professionals commonly encounter in practice when prescribing or dispensing buprenorphine for opioid use disorder, along with strategies to improve patient access to this life-saving medication. The content reflects input from healthcare and legal experts through a collaboration between the Pharmacy Addictions Research & Medicine (PhARM) Program at The University of Texas at Austin and the O'Neill Institute Center on Addiction & Public Policy at Georgetown University Law Center.

The course is part of the Texas Opioid Training Initiative (TXOTI.org), an initiative that promotes evidence-based practices to reduce opioid and other substance-related risk in Texas communities.

Registration (FREE)

  • Register for this activity using the BLUE Continue button at the bottom of this page.
  • After registration is complete, save your email & password and bookmark this page for easier access in the future.
  • Course Access:  Once you are registered and logged in (My Account appears at the top right), course content becomes accessible via the Course Module(s) tab.
  • Returning to the Course: If you need to return to the course later, click Login in the upper right corner of the screen and enter your email and password. Do not use the blue button to log back in – the button is for first-time access only.
  • See Continuing Education Credit for detailed course completion requirements.

Fee

$0.00

CE Hours

2.50

CE Units

0.250

Activity Type

Knowledge

Target Audience(s)

Pharmacists
Pharmacy Technicians
Physicians
Psychiatrists
Physician Assistant
Social Workers
Counselors
Advance Practice Nurses (CME)
Nurse Practitoners (CME)
Nurses

 

Course Module(s)

Telemedicine Prescribing and Monitoring Medications for Opioid Use Disorder
   

Telemedicine Prescribing and Monitoring Medications for Opioid Use Disorder

IMPORTANT: Review all module materials before you take the test. Module materials will appear below once you are registered and logged into the course.

Learning Objectives

  • Explain U.S. Health and Human Services and Drug Enforcement Administration final telehealth regulations.
  • Examine differential considerations for prescription stimulants and addiction treatment.
  • Interpret red flags in light of federal telehealth rules and other applicable laws.
  • Describe red flag interpretations to various common telehealth practice scenarios.

Presenter(s)

Matthew J. Strait, PharmD
Principal and Advisor
Controlled Substance Strategies
 
Matthew J. Strait is a recognized authority on controlled substance regulation with 26 years in diversion and Congressional affairs experience at the DEA. He has drafted federal legislation, led quota modernization, and advised Congress, the UN, national litigation teams, and private organizations on drug regulation and enforcement.
 

Financial Disclosure

Mr. Strait advises controlled substance manufacturers on federal regulatory compliance.

Activity Number

0067-0000-26-067-H08-P/T

Release Date: Jul 1, 2026
Credit Expiration Date: Jul 1, 2029

CE Hours

1.00
   

Monitoring Medications for Opioid Use Disorder in Practice
   

Monitoring Medications for Opioid Use Disorder in Practice

IMPORTANT: Review all module materials before you take the test. Module materials will appear below once you are registered and logged into the course.

Learning Objectives

  • Identify statutory prescribing limits on medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD).
  • Examine federal and Texas-specific legal monitoring requirements for prescribing and dispensing medications for opioid use disorder (PMP, inventory practices, etc.).
  • Review the implications of the injunctive relief agreement and distributor thresholds on pharmacy and medical practices.
  • Examine real-word implications using case-based examples.

Presenter

Jonathan Larsen, JD, MPP
Legal Technology Manager
Center for Public Health Law Research
Temple University Beasley School of Law
 
Jonathan Larsen, JD, MPP is the Legal Technology Manager at Temple University’s Beasley School of Law Center for Public Health Law Research, where he supports expanding use of scientific legal mapping through MonQcle, a software tool to support teams as they navigate and organize complex legal text to produce legal data for use in research and practice. Mr. Larsen's research focuses on drug policy and access to healthcare.
 

Financial Disclosure

Jonathan Larsen does not have any financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose. 
 

Activity Number

0067-0000-26-066-H08-P/T

Release Date: Jul 1, 2026
Credit Expiration Date: Jul 1, 2029

CE Hours

0.50
   

Translating Controlled Substance Monitoring Laws into Practice
   

Translating Controlled Substance Monitoring Laws into Practice

IMPORTANT: Review all module materials before you take the test. Module materials will appear below once you are registered and logged into the course.

Learning Objectives

  • Review federal and state legal requirements and regulatory frameworks regarding MOUD prescribing, monitoring, and dispensing.
  • Examine trends in red-flag analysis, corporate policies, and DEA expectations.
  • Discuss strategies for patient-centered evaluation of red flag warnings when prescribing, monitoring, and dispensing MOUD.
  • Apply clinical best practices via case exercises to simulate real-world implementation of monitoring, prescribing, and dispensing MOUD, including interprofessional communication strategies to optimize compliant and ethical patient care.

Moderator

Tyler Varisco, PharmD, PhD
PhARM Program, The University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy
 
Tyler Varisco is a registered pharmacist and trained health services researcher. He earned his Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) degree from The University of Texas at Austin and his Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Health Outcomes and Policy from the University of Houston College of Pharmacy. His research focuses on evaluating and improving the quality of care for persons with opioid use disorder (OUD). Dr. Varisco's work leverages diverse research methods to identify and address systemic barriers to harm reduction and treatment in provider offices and pharmacies. Dr. Varisco led a collaborative effort between the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy, the National Community Pharmacists Association and three colleges of pharmacy to create and disseminate the Pharmacy Access to Resources and Medication for Opioid Use Disorder Practice Guideline, a consensus, evidence-based guidance to address clinical obstacles that limit access to medication for OUD in the community pharmacy setting. Dr. Varisco has a keen interest in identifying policy targets to promote equitable access to treatment for individuals living with substance use disorder or other behavioral health conditions. He currently serves as a subject matter expert for the revision of Treatment Improvement Protocol 63, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's guidance on medications for OUD. Much of his published research examines how policy changes affect patient and provider experiences with healthcare quality at the point of care for individuals in treatment and recovery.
 

Financial Disclosure: Tyler Varisco does not have any financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose. 

Panelists

Daniel Blaney-Koen, JD
Senior Attorney
American Medical Association
 
Daniel Blaney-Koen, JD, is a senior attorney with the American Medical Association Advocacy Resource Center (ARC). Daniel is the lead staff for the AMA Substance Use and Pain Care Task Force. The Task Force was first convened in 2015 and continues to provide policymaking organizations, medical societies and physicians with evidence-based recommendations on overdose prevention and treatment, pain management and harm reduction initiatives. Daniel also works directly with state legislatures, medical boards, hospitals and health systems to analyze and update licensing and credentialing applications to support physicians’ and other health care professionals’ health and wellbeing. Daniel graduated from the University of Arizona. He earned his Master of Fine Arts in Poetry from Colorado State University. He earned his law degree from the Loyola University Chicago School of Law.
 
Financial Disclosure: Daniel Blaney-Koen does not have any financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose.
 
 
Carlos Tirado, MD, MPH
Co-Founder and CEO
CARMAhealth
 
Carlos Tirado, MD, MPH is a psychiatrist specializing in the treatment of psychiatric and substance use disorders. Dr. Tirado is Founder and CEO of CARMAhealth, a leading behavioral and primary care practice operating in Texas, and Florida. Dr. Tirado trained in General Psychiatry at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School and Addiction Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Tirado has a wide range of clinical, research, policy, business and administrative experience spanning a 20-year career. Dr. Tirado currently serves as Co-Chair of the Texas Medical Association Committee on Behavioral Health and is Past President of the Texas Society of Addiction Medicine. Dr. Tirado is an Associate Professor of Practice with the PhARM (Pharmacy Addictions Research & Medicine) Program at University of Texas College of Pharmacy.
 
Financial Disclosure: Carlos Tirado has disclosed that he is an investigator and investor for Spark Biomedical.
 
 

Activity Number

0067-0000-26-068-H08-P/T

Release Date: Jul 8, 2026
Credit Expiration Date: Jul 1, 2029

CE Hours

1.00
   

Continuing Education Credit

Continuing Education Credit
   

Continuing Education Credit

Steps to Complete Modules for CE Credit

This online activity is approved for a maximum of 0.25 CEUs (2.5 contact hours) of continuing education credit.

To earn CE credit for each module:

  • Make sure you are registered and logged in (My Account should appear in the top right of the screen).
  • Select a module by clicking one of the light blue tabs listed under Course Module(s).
  • View the module video and course resources.
  • Take the post-test and review answer feedback (no minimum score required).
  • Submit the evaluation to earn CE credit. A certificate with CE credit can be accessed by clicking My Account at the top right of the page, then View/Print CE Credit. The CE certificate remains available in the learner's CE profile for future access.
  • NOTE: Pharmacy CE credit is automatically transmitted via CPE Monitor using the NABP e-profile ID entered during registration.
  • NOTE: CME credit, you will be asked to provide your license number and date of birth (day/month) at the end of the course evaluation for credit to be uploaded to PARS. Please allow up to one month for credit(s) to appear.

Visit the CE accreditation information to view the different types of CE credit offered for this course. 

   

Funding Disclosure

Funding Disclosure
   

Funding Disclosure

Funding Statement

This presentation is supported by the Texas Targeted Opioid Response, a public health initiative operated by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission through federal funding from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, grant award number 1H79TI087739.

The views expressed in this online course do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the Department of Health and Human Services, Texas Health and Human Services, University of Texas System, UT Austin, the U.S. or Texas Government, or any of the entities they represent.

   

Questions

Questions
   

Questions

If you have questions about course content or CE credit, please email the UT College of Pharmacy Continuing Education Office: UTpharmacyCE@austin.utexas.edu