Specialty Modules

It Takes A Team: Providing Evidence-Based Care to People Living with Opioid Use Disorder

Module Overview:

This module explores the care team’s role in supporting patients living with and recovering from substance use disorder (SUD).  As opioid overdose-related death rates continue to rise in Pennsylvania, it is more important than ever to ensure all staff members have the tools and training to support evidence-based care for SUD.  This session will review a variety of tools that are available to assist care teams with screening and identifying patients living with SUD, addressing how stigma impacts care of patients with SUD, utilizing motivational interviewing techniques, providing community resources for patients, and determining how to support patients living in recovery.

Audience: Non-prescribers, but prescribers can still get credit for the session 

Session Time: 1 hour

Continuing Education: Physicians and Nurses

Learning Objectives:

1. Use the Pennsylvania Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) as part of the care team strategy to screen and identify people living with SUD.
2. Identify tools, communication strategies, and community resources to support evidence-based care for people living with SUD.
3. Explain how providing evidence-based care and support to people living in recovery can promote continued commitment to beneficial lifestyle changes.

Strategies for Improving Maternal and Infant Health Related to Opioid Use

Module Overview:

This educational session explores the background of opioid use disorder in pregnant people, highlights a variety of tools that are available to screen and identify pregnant patients living with substance use disorder (SUD), and reviews clinical guidelines for treating pregnant and parenting people with opioid use disorder and their infants.  The session also addresses the impact of stigma on the care of patients with SUD, motivational interviewing techniques, and community resources for patients and their infants.

Audience: Physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and any healthcare professionals 

Session Time: 1 hour

Continuing Education: Physicians and Nurses

Learning Objectives:

1. Recognize the importance of evidence-based interventions to treat opioid use disorder in pregnancy for both mother and infant.
2. Explain how stigma affects access and delivery of care to pregnant and postpartum people living with opioid use disorder (OUD).
3. Determine strategies to assess opioid use disorder in pregnant and postpartum people and provide referrals to assessment and treatment.
4. Explain care considerations for pregnant and postpartum people and infants born with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS)/neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS).

Opioid Prescribing in Dentistry Module

Module Overview:

This module discusses the dental community’s role in fighting the opioid epidemic, reviews guidelines for managing dental pain, and highlights resources for dentists and oral surgeons regarding pain management.

Audience: Dental Professionals 

Session Time: 1 hour

Continuing Education: Dentists, Dental Hygienists, Expanded-Access Dental Assistants

Learning Objectives:

• Advise the oral health community on the role they play in addressing the opioid epidemic.
• Provide guidelines to inform the oral health community on how to appropriately manage dental pain.
• Provide resources for the oral health community pertaining to opioids in dentistry such as PDMP usage, electronic prescribing, and further education.