The ASAM National Practice Guideline for the Use of Medications in the Treatment of Addiction Involving Opioid Use

The American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) developed the National Practice Guideline to provide information on evidence-based treatment of opioid use disorder. This guideline is the first to address all the FDA-approved medications available to treat addiction involving opioid use and opioid overdose - methadone, buprenorphine, naltrexone and naloxone - in a single document. It aims to help clinicians make evidence-based clinical decisions when prescribing pharmacotherapies to patients with opioid use disorder.

Click here to view the entire National Practice Guideline.

The ASAM Appropriate Use of Drug Testing in Clinical Addiction Medicine

ASAM developed the Appropriate Use of Drug Testing in Clinical Addiction Medicine document to provide guidance about the effective use of drug testing in the identification, diagnosis, treatment and promotion of recovery for patients with, or at risk for, addiction.

Click here to download the entire consensus document.
Click here to view Drug Testing webinars.

Sample Diversion Control Plan

The final DATA 2000 Patient Limit rule defines a diversion control plan as a set of documented procedures that reduce the possibility that controlled substances will be transferred or used illicitly. ASAM has created several sample documents to help members and other physicians understand best practices to prevent diversion. Below are those resources and others to assist in this.

Click here to see a sample diversion policy.
Click here to see a sample treatment agreement.

CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain

CDC developed and published the CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain to provide recommendations for the prescribing of opioid pain medication for patients 18 and older in primary care settings. Recommendations focus on the use of opioids in treating chronic pain (pain lasting longer than 3 months or past the time of normal tissue healing) outside of active cancer treatment, palliative care, and end-of-life care.

Click here to view the guideline.

VA/DoD Management of Opioid Therapy (OT) for Chronic Pain (2017)

The guideline describes the critical decision points in the Management of Opioid Therapy (OT) for Chronic Pain and provides clear and comprehensive evidence based recommendations incorporating current information and practices for practitioners throughout the DoD and VA Health Care systems. The workgroup consensus statements are provided to minimize harm and increase patient safety in patients requiring opioid therapy.

Click here to view the guideline.

Home Buprenorphine/Naloxone Induction in Primary Care

Click here to read an article on home inductions in primary care. Click here to download a sample Home Induction Form.

Addiction Vocabulary

Click here to see a list of appropriate vocabulary to use with your patients in your addiction medicine practice.

Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT)

Medication-assisted treatment (MAT), including opioid treatment programs (OTPs), combines behavioral therapy and medications to treat substance use disorders.

Buprenorphine Treatment Physician Locator

Find physicians authorized to treat opioid dependency with buprenorphine by state.

Online Waiver Application

To receive a waiver to practice opioid dependency treatment with approved buprenorphine medications, a physician/nurse practitioner/physician assistant must notify the SAMHSA Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) of their intent to practice this form of medication-assisted treatment. The notification of intent must be submitted to CSAT before the initial dispensing or prescribing of opioid treatment.

Opioid Treatment Program Directory 

Browse by state.

SAMHSA MATx Mobile App

MATx empowers health care practitioners to provide effective, evidence-based care for opioid use disorders. This free app supports practitioners who currently provide medication-assisted treatment (MAT), as well as those who plan to do so in the future. Available now on Google Play or Apple App Store.

ASAM National Practice Guideline Webinars

ASAM developed a webinar series on the National Practice Guideline for the Use of Medications in the Treatment of Addiction Involving Opioid Use. The purpose of these webinars is to educate physicians on the evidence-based clinical treatment of opioid use disorder and to assist them in the decision-making process for prescribing pharmacotherapies to patients with opioid use disorder.

• Overview of the National Practice Guideline
• Special Populations: Individuals with Co-occurring Psychiatric Disorders
• Special Populations: Pregnant Women
• Special Populations: Individuals in the Criminal Justice System
• Special Populations: Individuals with Pain
• Special Populations: Adolescents

ASAM Navigating Payment Pathway Series

This free CME webinar series is designed to prepare physicians and their billing staff for the basics of modern healthcare payment models and methods of incorporating these models into addiction treatment practice. Presented by a healthcare reimbursement expert, viewers will learn the language used by health payers to improve understanding of billing and coding techniques. Some tips about determining patient coverage for services, handling prior authorization requests, and submitting claims to payers will be included.

• Navigating Payment Pathways Part 1 
• Navigating Payment Pathways Part 2

SAMHSA Spotlight on MATx

Sponsored by the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM), the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA), Spotlight on MATx webinar will discuss medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder and resources to support health care practitioners who currently provide MAT or plan to do so in the future. Participants will be guided through a step-by-step overview of the Drug Addiction Treatment Act of 2000 (DATA 2000) waiver process, learn how naloxone can be used to reverse the effects of opioid overdose, and discuss current efforts to address the opioid crisis in America. SAMHSA will also unveil MATx, a new mobile app that empowers practitioners to provide effective, evidence-based care.

Raising the Buprenorphine Patient Limit

On August 8, 2016, a final rule from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) went into effect to increase access to medication-assisted treatment with buprenorphine products in the office setting by allowing eligible practitioners to request approval to treat up to 275 patients. The requirements of the final rule are intended to ensure patients receive high-quality care and diversion of medications is minimized. Please note that the final rule does not change the application process for a 30- or 100-patient waiver.

Click here to view the webinar.  

Prescribers Clinical Support System for Medication-Assisted Treatment
A national training and mentoring project developed in response to the prescription opioid misuse epidemic and the availability of newer pharmacotherapies to address opioid dependence.

• Mentoring for those providing care for opioid dependent individuals available at no cost to all interested providers. Click here.
• Clinical Tools (clinical guidances, sample forms including: patient information, intake forms, treatment agreements, induction forms, TIPs and more). Click here. 

• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
• National Institute on Drug Abuse
  • NIDA’s Buprenorphine Suite of Blending Products
• Drug Enforcement Administration

Sample Consent Form

Adapted from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Click here to see the full document.

Clinical Opiate Withdrawal Scale (COWS) Form

A flow-sheet for measuring symptoms for opiate withdrawal over a period of time.