ASAM partners on training of NPs, PAs in buprenorphine prescribing

The American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) is partnering with associations representing nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs) to offer training courses for these professionals who want to begin prescribing buprenorphine to patients.

Based on authorization in the 2016 Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA), NPs and PAs who complete training and seek to prescribe buprenorphine for up to 30 patients may begin to apply for this authority early this year. ASAM has partnered with the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) and the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) on other education and training initiatives.

“ASAM has worked for the past three years on joint training with AANP and AAPA on safe opioid prescribing and we are pleased to expand our joint offerings,” ASAM president R. Jeffrey Goldsmith, MD, said in a news release.

An unrestricted educational grant from pharmaceutical company Indivior, which markets Suboxone formulations of buprenorphine/naloxone, is making the joint training effort possible.