9540L • A Straightforward Look at Medications to Treat Opioid Use Disorders

Table of Contents

9540L • A Straightforward Look at Medications to Treat Opioid Use Disorders

How to Receive Credit

Course Overview

Audience

Accreditations & Approvals

Designations of Credit

Individual State Behavioral Health Approvals

Course Objective

Learning Objectives

Faculty

Faculty Disclosure

Division Planners

Division Planners Disclosure

Director of Development and Academic Affairs

Director Disclosure Statement

About the Sponsor

Disclosure Statement

Implicit Bias in Health Care

1. INTRODUCTION

2. WEBINAR

3. SLIDES

Works Cited

9540L • A Straightforward Look at Medications to Treat Opioid Use Disorders

Brooke Schaefer, MSN, MBA, FNP-C, CARN-AP, RN

www.netce.com

Copyright © 2026 NetCE, All rights reserved.

This live event takes place Thursday, June 25, 4 pm-6 pm EDT (1 pm-3 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.

9540L • A Straightforward Look at Medications to Treat Opioid Use Disorders

Education Category. Webinars

Release Date. 05/20/2026

Expiration Date. 07/05/2026

How to Receive Credit

To complete this course for continuing education credit please go to http://www.netce.com/course/3490 in your browser.

For assistance with receiving continuing education credit, please contact us at help@netce.com.

Course Overview

This live event takes place Thursday, June 25, 4 pm-6 pm EDT (1 pm-3 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.

Audience

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.

Accreditations & Approvals

NetCE has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 6361. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. NetCE is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs. As a Jointly Accredited Organization, NetCE is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved under this program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. Continuing Education (CE) credits for psychologists are provided through the co-sponsorship of the American Psychological Association (APA) Office of Continuing Education in Psychology (CEP). The APA CEP Office maintains responsibility for the content of the programs. NetCE is accredited by the International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training (IACET). NetCE complies with the ANSI/IACET Standard, which is recognized internationally as a standard of excellence in instructional practices. As a result of this accreditation, NetCE is authorized to issue the IACET CEU. NetCE is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors #MHC-0021. This course is considered live online by the New York State Board of Mental Health Counseling. NetCE is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0033. This course is considered live online, as defined by the New York State Board for Social Work. Materials that are included in this course may include interventions and modalities that are beyond the authorized practice of licensed master social work and licensed clinical social work in New York. As a licensed professional, you are responsible for reviewing the scope of practice, including activities that are defined in law as beyond the boundaries of practice for an LMSW and LCSW. A licensee who practices beyond the authorized scope of practice could be charged with unprofessional conduct under the Education Law and Regents Rules. NetCE is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed marriage and family therapists. #MFT-0015. This course is considered live online by the New York State Board of Marriage and Family Therapy. NetCE is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0240. This course is considered live online by the New York State Board for Psychology.

Designations of Credit

NetCE designates this live event activity for 2 continuing education clock hours. NetCE designates this live event continuing education activity for 2 NBCC clock hour(s). Social workers participating in this intermediate to advanced course will receive 2 Clinical continuing education clock hours. NetCE is authorized by IACET to offer 0.2 CEU(s) for this program. NetCE designates this live continuing education activity for 2 credit(s).

Individual State Behavioral Health Approvals

In addition to states that accept ASWB, NetCE is approved as a provider of continuing education by the following state boards: Alabama State Board of Social Work Examiners, Provider #0515; Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling, CE Broker Provider #50-2405; Illinois Division of Professional Regulation for Social Workers, License #159.001094; Illinois Division of Professional Regulation for Licensed Professional and Clinical Counselors, License #197.000185; Illinois Division of Professional Regulation for Marriage and Family Therapists, License #168.000190;

Course Objective

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.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this course, you should be able to:

1. Describe the clinical differences between methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone, including their mechanisms of action and ideal patient profiles.

2. Apply evidence-based strategies to initiate and manage medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) in outpatient or residential settings, accounting for real-world barriers.

3. Challenge common misconceptions and stigma surrounding MOUD using person-centered language and harm reduction principles.

Faculty

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.

Faculty Disclosure

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.

Division Planners

Kimberly Byrd, EdD, PMSW

Scott Deatherage, PhD

Abimbola Farinde, PharmD, PhD

Nicholas Bertoni, MD

John Makopoulos, MD

Division Planners Disclosure

The division planners have disclosed no relevant financial relationship with any product manufacturer or service provider mentioned.

Director of Development and Academic Affairs

Sarah Campbell

Director Disclosure Statement

The Director of Development and Academic Affairs has disclosed no relevant financial relationship with any product manufacturer or service provider mentioned.

About the Sponsor

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.

Disclosure Statement

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.

Implicit Bias in Health Care

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.

1. INTRODUCTION

There is a critical and well-documented need for improved education on medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) among healthcare professionals. Despite strong evidence supporting the use of MOUD, it remains underutilized because of stigma, provider discomfort, and lack of training. National data show that only about 11% of individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD) receive MOUD, despite it being the gold standard of care. A 2021 survey by the American Society of Addiction Medicine found that 61% of primary care providers reported feeling unprepared to manage OUD, and fewer than half had received formal training in MOUD. Additionally, research highlights the role of implicit and explicit biases that lead to reduced access and engagement. Within my organization and through national conference feedback, there is consistent demand for engaging, practical, and stigma-reducing education on MOUD delivery in both primary care and behavioral health settings. This session aims to fill these gaps through an accessible, evidence-based presentation that dispels myths, builds clinical confidence, and empowers providers to expand access to life-saving treatment.

2. WEBINAR

To see this media go to http://www.NetCE.com/activities/ using a browser that supports Adobe Flash.

3. SLIDES

The slides from this webinar are available here.

Works Cited

1. Abdel-Latif ME, Pinner J, Clews S, Cooke F, Lui K, Oei J. Effects of breast milk on the severity and outcome of neonatal abstinence syndrome among infants of drug-dependent mothers. Pediatrics. 2006;117(6):e1163-e1169.

2. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Opioid use and opioid use disorder in pregnancy. Obstet Gynecol. 2017;130(2):e81-e394.

3. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Breastfeeding challenges and substance use disorders. Obstet Gynecol. 2021;137(2):e38-e44.

4. Becker SJ, Scott K, Helseth SA, et al. Effectiveness of medication for opioid use disorders in transition-age youth: a systematic review. J Subst Abuse Treat. 2022;132:108494.

5. Chan B, Gean E, Arkhipova-Jenkins I, et al. Retention strategies for medications for opioid use disorder in adults: a rapid evidence review. J Addict Med. 2021;15(1):74-84.

6. Fouladvand S, Talbert J, Dwoskin LP, et al. Predicting Opioid Use Disorder from Longitudinal Healthcare Data Using Multistream Transformer (MUPOD) [Preprint]. Available at http://arxiv.org/abs/2103.08800. Last accessed March 5, 2026.

7. Jansson LM, Velez M. Neonatal abstinence syndrome. Curr Opin Pediatr. 2012;24(2):252-258.

8. Jones HE, Kaltenbach K, Heil SH, et al. Neonatal abstinence syndrome after methadone or buprenorphine exposure. N Engl J Med. 2010;363(24):2320-2331.

9. Reece-Stremtan S, Marinelli KA; Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine. ABM clinical protocol #21: guidelines for breastfeeding and substance use or substance use disorder, revised 2015. Breastfeed Med. 2015;10(3):135-141.

10. Schiff DM, Nielsen T, Hoeppner BB, et al. Methadone and buprenorphine discontinuation among postpartum women with opioid use disorder. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2021;225(5):538.e1-538.e10.

11. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Clinical Guidance for Treating Pregnant and Parenting Women With Opioid Use Disorder and Their Infants. Available at https://library.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/sma18-5054.pdf. Last accessed March 5, 2026.

12. Tran TH, Griffin BL, Stone RH, Vest KM, Todd TJ. Methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone for the treatment of opioid use disorder in pregnant women. Pharmacotherapy. 2017;37(7):824-839.

13. Wachman EM, Byun J, Philipp BL. Breastfeeding rates among mothers of infants with neonatal abstinence syndrome. Breastfeed Med. 2010;5(4):159-164.

14. World Health Organization. Guidelines for the Identification and Management of Substance Use and Substance Use Disorders in Pregnancy. Available at https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241548731. Last accessed March 5, 2026.

15. Wymore EM, Palmer C, Wang GS, et al. Persistence of Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol in human breast milk. JAMA Pediatr. 2021;175(6):632-634.

16. Zedler BK, Mann AL, Kim MM, et al. Buprenorphine compared with methadone to treat pregnant women with opioid use disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis of safety in the mother, fetus, and child. Addiction. 2016;111(12):2115-2128.