A Straightforward Look at Medications to Treat Opioid Use Disorders
Course #9540L -
- Participation Instructions
- Review the course material online or in print.
- Complete the course evaluation.
- Review your Transcript to view and print your Certificate of Completion. Your date of completion will be the date (Pacific Time) the course was electronically submitted for credit, with no exceptions. Partial credit is not available.
This live event takes place Monday, April 6, 6 pm-8 pm EDT (3 pm-5 pm PDT).
Whether you work in recovery support, housing, or case management, or just want to learn more, this course breaks down the science in a simple, approachable way—no medical degree required. Together, we'll explore how these medications work, why they matter, and how understanding them can help reduce stigma and support long-term recovery. The goal? To equip everyone with the knowledge and confidence to be part of the solution.
This live webinar is designed for all members of the interprofessional team of professionals who want to better understand the medications used to treat opioid use disorder.
The purpose of this course is to enhance healthcare professionals' understanding of medications used in the treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD) by reviewing their mechanisms of action, clinical indications, and role within comprehensive, evidence-based treatment strategies.
Upon completion of this course, you should be able to:
- Describe the clinical differences between methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone, including their mechanisms of action and ideal patient profiles.
- Apply evidence-based strategies to initiate and manage medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) in outpatient or residential settings, accounting for real-world barriers.
- Challenge common misconceptions and stigma surrounding MOUD using person-centered language and harm reduction principles.
Brooke Schaefer, MSN, MBA, FNP-C, CARN-AP, RN, lives in central Indiana with her family and runs a small homestead with a menagerie of animals. She runs CHOICE: Recovery for Mothers through Community Health Network, and is the founder of Lily Pond, a patient comfort closet, and Legacy, a continuation of CHOICE programming. She is a family nurse practitioner, a certified addictions nurse practitioner, and has an MBA.
Contributing faculty, Brooke Schaefer, MSN, MBA, FNP-C, CARN-AP, RN, has disclosed no relevant financial relationship with any product manufacturer or service provider mentioned.
Kimberly Byrd, EdD, PMSW
Scott Deatherage, PhD
Abimbola Farinde, PharmD, PhD
Nicholas Bertoni, MD
John Makopoulos, MD
The division planners have disclosed no relevant financial relationship with any product manufacturer or service provider mentioned.
Sarah Campbell
The Director of Development and Academic Affairs has disclosed no relevant financial relationship with any product manufacturer or service provider mentioned.
The purpose of NetCE is to provide challenging curricula to assist healthcare professionals to raise their levels of expertise while fulfilling their continuing education requirements, thereby improving the quality of healthcare.
Our contributing faculty members have taken care to ensure that the information and recommendations are accurate and compatible with the standards generally accepted at the time of publication. The publisher disclaims any liability, loss or damage incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, of the use and application of any of the contents. Participants are cautioned about the potential risk of using limited knowledge when integrating new techniques into practice.
It is the policy of NetCE not to accept commercial support. Furthermore, commercial interests are prohibited from distributing or providing access to this activity to learners.
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The role of implicit biases on healthcare outcomes has become a concern, as there is some evidence that implicit biases contribute to health disparities, professionals' attitudes toward and interactions with patients, quality of care, diagnoses, and treatment decisions. This may produce differences in help-seeking, diagnoses, and ultimately treatments and interventions. Implicit biases may also unwittingly produce professional behaviors, attitudes, and interactions that reduce patients' trust and comfort with their provider, leading to earlier termination of visits and/or reduced adherence and follow-up. Disadvantaged groups are marginalized in the healthcare system and vulnerable on multiple levels; health professionals' implicit biases can further exacerbate these existing disadvantages.
Interventions or strategies designed to reduce implicit bias may be categorized as change-based or control-based. Change-based interventions focus on reducing or changing cognitive associations underlying implicit biases. These interventions might include challenging stereotypes. Conversely, control-based interventions involve reducing the effects of the implicit bias on the individual's behaviors. These strategies include increasing awareness of biased thoughts and responses. The two types of interventions are not mutually exclusive and may be used synergistically.