Provincial Opioid Addiction Treatment Support Program
Opioid use disorder is one of the most challenging forms of addiction facing the health care system in British Columbia and a major driver of the recent surge in illicit drug overdose deaths in the province. In the context of the current public health emergency, there is an urgent need for a provincial evidence-based education on the full range of treatment options available for adults and youth with varying presentations of opioid use disorder.
UBC CPD, in partnership with the BC Centre for Substance Use (BCCSU), has developed an online course intended for all BC physicians, nursing and allied health professionals, and other care providers involved in the treatment of individuals with opioid use disorder. Designed with busy professionals in mind, the course articulates the BCCSU’s Provincial Guidelines for the Clinical Management of Opioid Use Disorder through interactive content, videos and case studies.
The Provincial Opioid Addiction Treatment Support Program (POATSP) is tailored to two learner groups. This page is for physicians, nurse practitioners, and pharmacists.
Registered nurses (RNs), registered psychiatric nurses (RPNs), and licensed practical nurses (LPNs): Register Here
By the end of this course, you will be able to:
- Define and establish a diagnosis of opioid use disorder
- Evaluate a patient with opioid use disorder and create a patient-centred care plan
- Provide safe treatment of opioid use disorder with buprenorphine/naloxone, methadone, slow-release oral morphine, and injectable opioid agonist treatment
- Write a safe and clear prescription for methadone, buprenorphine/naloxone, slow-release oral morphine, and injectable opioid agonist treatment
- Safely induce and maintain a patient on methadone, buprenorphine/naloxone, sustained-release oral morphine, and injectable opioid agonist treatment
- Engage a patient in comprehensive and continuing care
- Provide trauma-informed care to people with opioid use disorder
- Educate patients about harm reduction and integrate harm reduction provision into clinical care
- Transition patients between modalities of pharmacotherapy for opioid use disorder
- Provide opioid agonist treatment to patients in the acute care settings
- Manage precipitated withdrawal
Designed and developed in partnership with the BC Centre for Substance Use (BCCSU).
The Division of Continuing Professional Development, University of British Columbia Faculty of Medicine (UBC CPD) is fully accredited by the Continuing Medical Education Accreditation Committee (CACME) to provide CPD credits for physicians. This activity is an Accredited Self-Assessment Program (Section 3) as defined by the Maintenance of Certification Program (MOC) of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, and approved by UBC CPD. You may claim a maximum of 8.00 hours (credits are automatically calculated). This one-credit-per-hour Assessment program meets the certification criteria of the College of Family Physicians of Canada and has been certified by UBC CPD for up to 8.00 Mainpro+® credits. Each physician should claim only those credits accrued through participation in the activity.