Methadone

Opioid use disorder (OUD) among women who become pregnant is increasing in prevalence in clinical settings. This course reviews the historical and current context of opioid use of women during pregnancy. The learner will follow the case study of Ashley during her pregnancy and the birth of her baby, and will engage in reflection and knowledge check questions.

Opioids are commonly prescribed for chronic pain, but are also associated with a risk for serious harms, including overdose and opioid use disorder. This course reviews risk factors for opioid misuse, opioid use disorder, and overdose in patients with chronic pain, explains methods for screening and assessing for problematic opioid use, reviews methods for mitigating risks associated with prescribed opioids, and details non-opioid treatment approaches for pain. The course is based on principles in the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s guideline on opioids for chronic pain and reviews recent evidence on benefits and harms of opioids.

This episode examines how these newer compounds differ pharmacologically, why they are more dangerous, and how clinicians can recognize and respond to kratom-related harms. Listeners will gain practical strategies for identifying kratom use disorder, managing withdrawal, and having informed, non-stigmatizing conversations with patients as these products continue to emerge and change.

Patient-centered care has become a crucial approach when working with patients with substance use disorder (SUD). Unfortunately, the care continuum can be interrupted for patients with SUDs, often due to stigma and discrimination. Each interruption increases challenges in access to care and can lead to patient harm. Language can intentionally or unintentionally perpetuate stigma. As people who care for patients with SUDs, we need to learn their rights so we can advocate for them and change our language to reduce stigma. This course will discuss the importance of patient-centered care, improved language when discussing substance use, and advocacy strategies that clinicians can use when caring for people who use substances.

Opioid use disorder (OUD) has highly effective FDA-approved medications for its treatment. This course reviews and compares pharmacological treatment options for individuals with OUD, including methadone, buprenorphine (sublingual and injectable formulations), and naltrexone (oral and long-acting intramuscular formulations). Current evidence for each medication is reviewed in detail, and studies comparing each are discussed. The purpose and goal of medications for OUD are reviewed, and different treatment models are presented. The course includes case vignettes in which medication options for OUD are considered.

This course discusses the importance of integrating opioid use disorder (OUD) pharmacotherapy into general medical settings, and describes models in primary care, emergency rooms, and hospitals where medications for OUD treatment are successfully included as standard care. Through reviews of OUD pharmacotherapy implementation in clinical practice, participants will learn how to adapt these strategies to their own settings. The course also introduces evidence-based counseling approaches to enhance motivation, treatment engagement, and sustained remission. Standard Medical Management (SMM) will be highlighted as an efficient, structured option readily incorporated into primary care. Participants are encouraged to adapt this information for use in their own clinical practices.