The most recent opioid law, Chapter 208 of the Acts of 2018, requires acute care hospital emergency departments to have the capacity to initiate opioid agonist treatment, including buprenorphine. To aid hospitals in implementing this policy, Boston Medical Center Grayken Center for Addiction, and DPH’s Bureau of Substance Addiction Services are sponsoring free buprenorphine “x-waiver” trainings across the state. To prescribe buprenorphine, clinicians must possess a Drug Enforcement Agency Category X waiver; obtaining this waiver requires specific training. The training sessions target emergency department providers; however they will be open to all. The waiver course prepares physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants to prescribe buprenorphine to treat opioid use disorder.
The next trainings are: Tuesday, January 15, Baystate Health in Holyoke.
Register here. And Wednesday, January 30, St. Luke’s Hospital, New Bedford.
Register here.
Also, Boston Medical Center is offering a free, practical, and cased-based tele-education series focused on the provision of comprehensive care for patients with substance use disorders. The series -- known as New England Office Based Addiction Treatment Extension for Community Health Outcomes (NE OBAT ECHO) -- is for nurses, social workers, providers, medical assistants, recovery coaches, and other support team members and can be completed from the participant’s office or home. CME/CEU credits are offered for free. Those that enroll can choose to participate twice monthly either on Thursdays from February 21 to July 18, 2019, or on Thursdays from August 1, 2019 to January 2, 2020. For More information: e-mail
OBATECHO@bmc.org.