January 17, 2017 – AAPA is partnering with the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) and the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) to offer free online training courses that will allow PAs and NPs to prescribe buprenorphine for the treatment of opioid addiction.

In November 2016, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that PAs and NPs may begin applying for waivers to prescribe buprenorphine for the treatment of opioid addiction. As a condition to be waived, which is outlined in Section 303, of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA), PAs and NPs must complete 24 hours of required educational training.

“AAPA and the PA community are committed to helping stem the national opioid epidemic,” said AAPA President Josanne Pagel, MPAS, PA-C, Karuna®RMT, DFAAPA.  “Every day I hear from our PA members who are eager to utilize this new authority to treat their patients.”

PAs and NPs who complete the required training will receive CE/CME credits and will have the ability to prescribe buprenorphine to up to 30 patients.

This joint offering is being made possible in part through an unrestricted educational grant from Indivior Inc. to each of the partner organizations.

The PA and NP 24 hour waiver training is available via the ASAM e-Learning Center.