DEA-Required Training FAQ's

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DEA-Required Opioid TrainingState Required CME

Wednesday, May 24, 2023, 3:49 PM - Saturday, December 31, 2033, 4:49 PM, Smilow Center for Translational Research

For a list of Penn Medicine DEA-Required Opioid Training activities, click here.

Q. Why do we have to complete this training

A. On December 29, 2022, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 enacted a new one-time, eight-hour training requirement for all Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)-registered practitioners on the treatment and management of patients with opioid or other substance use disorders.  Below is information on this new requirement.

Q. When does the new requirement take effect?

A. On July, 27, 2023, all Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)-registered practitioners (physicians and non-physician clinicians) must complete a new one-time, eight-hour training requirement for the treatment and management of patients with opioid or other substance use disorders offered by an accredited group (please see below) prior to renewing a DEA registration or applying as a new registrant. The training does not need to be completed until the day you renew your DEA license but you will want to get a head start. The DEA has posted  additional information online pertaining to the requirements.

Q. Can I obtain these credits from within Penn?

A.  The Penn Office of Continuing Medical and Interprofessional Education has created a complimentary portfolio of accredited education. The education is available online at no charge to Penn Faculty.

Q. Does the law pertain to all health care professionals?

A. The law pertains to all health care professionals who are DEA-registered to prescribe Schedule II, III, IV, and V drugs.

1. All practitioners that are board certified in addiction medicine or addiction psychiatry from the American Board of Medical Specialties, the American Board of Addiction Medicine, or the American Osteopathic Association.
2. All practitioners that graduated in good standing from a medical (allopathic or osteopathic), dental, physician assistant, or advanced practice nursing school in the United States within five years of June 27, 2023, and successfully completed a comprehensive curriculum that included at least eight hours of training on:

• Treating and managing patients with opioid or other substance use disorders, including the appropriate clinical use of all drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of a substance use disorder; or
  
• Safe pharmacological management of dental pain and screening, brief intervention, and referral for appropriate treatment of patients with or at risk of developing opioid and other substance use disorders.
  

1. The training does not have to occur in one session. It can be cumulative across multiple sessions that equal eight hours of training.
2. Past trainings on the treatment and management of patients with opioid or other substance use disorders can count towards a practitioner meeting this requirement. In other words, if you received a relevant training from one of the groups listed below—prior to the enactment of this new training obligation on December 29, 2022—that training counts towards the eight-hour requirement.
3.  Past DATA-Waived trainings count towards a DEA registrant’s 8-hour training requirement.
4. Trainings can occur in a variety of formats, including classroom settings, seminars at professional society meetings, or virtual offerings.

What accredited groups may provide trainings that meet this new requirement?
•    Penn Continuing Medical and Interprofessional Education
•    The American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM)
•    The American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry (AAAP)
•    American Medical Association (AMA)
•    The American Osteopathic Association (AOA), or any organizations accredited by the AOA to provide continuing medical education
•    The American Dental Association (ADA)
•    The American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS)
•    The American Psychiatric Association (APA)
•    The American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP)
•    The American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA)
•    The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC)
•    Any other organization accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) or the Commission for Continuing Education Provider Recognition (CCEPR), whether directly or through an organization accredited by a State medical society that is recognized by the ACCME or CCEPR
•    Any other organization approved or accredited by the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, the ACCME, or the CCEPR

Q. Do previous CME courses on substance or opioid use count toward the eight-hour training requirement?

A. Yes, prior accredited training on the treatment and management of patients with opioid or other substance use disorders completed before December 2, 2022 which is when the last was enacted can count toward a physician or NPC meeting this requirement. Also, previous DATA-Waived trainings count toward a DEA registrant's eight-hour training requirement.  

Q. Do I have to complete the eight-hour training all at once?

A. No. The training does not have to occur in one session. It can be completed across multiple sessions that equal at least eight hours of training.

Q. When is the deadline to complete the training?

A. The deadline to complete the new CME training course is the date of a physician or NPC's next scheduled DEA registration submission, either for renewal or first time registrants. Physicians and NPCs will select a box indicating they have completed the course. 

Q. Does the Penn Office of Continuing Medical and Interprofessional Education plan to add additional courses?

A. Yes, over time we will be adding additional content to our current complementary portfolio of approved courses. Some of these will be more specific to certain specialties and practice models.

Q. Will completing this count towards for renewal of your state professional license (MD, DO)?

A. Not necessarily and this varies by state. The Penn Office of Continuing Medical and Interprofessional Education has a state-based map to guide you to the individual educational requirements needed to renew your state license.

For a list of Penn Medicine DEA-Required Opioid Training activities, click here.

Non-Physician Attendance / Participation (8.00 hours)

Mitigation of Relevant Financial Relationships

Penn Medicine adheres to the ACCME’s Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education. Any individuals in a position to control the content of a CE activity, including faculty, planners, reviewers or others are required to disclose all relevant financial relationships with ineligible entities (commercial interests). All relevant conflicts of interest have been mitigated prior to the commencement of the activity.

No faculty are available for this activity at this time.