FREE Buprenorphine Waiver Eligibility Training for Clinical Providers

Care Compass Network is sponsoring a free buprenorphine waiver training for clinical providers. In response to the opioid overdose deaths in New York State, increased access to buprenorphine treatment for opioid overdose disorder is urgently needed. Physicians, Nurse Practitioners, Physician Assistants and Medical Residents are welcome and highly encouraged to attend.

Under current regulations, authorized practitioners (MDs, DOs, NPs & PAs) are required to obtain a ‘waiver’ to prescribe buprenorphine. To acquire this waiver, physicians are required to complete a standardized buprenorphine waiver 8-hour training. Nurse Practitioners (NPs) and Physician Assistants (PAs) are required to complete the standardized buprenorphine waiver 8-hour training as well as an additional 16 hours of online training as established by the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA). Residents may also take the course and apply for their waiver once they receive their DEA license.

The buprenorphine waiver 8-hour training is offered in a half-and-half format [4.5 hours of in-person training followed up by 3.5 hours of online training]. Upon completion of the required training, providers will meet the requirement of the DATA 2000 to apply for a waiver to prescribe buprenorphine for opioid-dependent patients. 

CME Accreditation Statement
This program has been planned and implemented in accordance with the Essential Areas and Policies of the Accreditation Council for CME (ACCME) through joint providership with the University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry (AAAP).

The University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences is accredited by the ACCME to sponsor CME for physicians.
The University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences designates this live activity for a maximum of 8.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)TM (4 in-person and 4 online).  Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Trainers: Julia Hunter, MD, United Health Services, Binghamton, NY; Peter Ronan, MD, United Health Services, Binghamton, NY

Dr. Julia Hunter is board-certified in both Family Medicine and Addiction Medicine. She completed a fellowship in Addiction Medicine at Summa Health in Akron, Ohio. As a fellow, she was named a Ruth Fox Scholar by the American Society of Addiction Medicine. She is a fellow in the American Society of Addiction Medicine.  With Dr. Ronan, Dr. Hunter oversees the clinical teams in our inpatient, outpatient, opioid treatment, and buprenorphine/naloxone programs. She created and runs the alcohol and sedative hypnotic consultation service and the comprehensive program for pregnant women with opioid use disorder. She implemented the Hub and Spoke model for treating opioid use disorder in the UHS system. She is interested in fighting addiction’s stigma, treating hepatitis C in people who inject drugs, and managing addiction in pregnancy. 

Dr. Peter Ronan is board-certified in Internal Medicine and a fellow in the American Society of Addiction Medicine.  He is the Medical Director of Addiction Medicine and the Assistant Medical Director of the UHS Hospital System. Dr. Ronan has been working in the field of Addiction Medicine for over 30 years. He started the Addiction Medicine department’s buprenorphine/naloxone program in 2003 and ran the hospital’s medically supervised withdrawal unit before it was converted into additional beds in inpatient New Horizons. He supervises the clinical teams in our inpatient, outpatient, opioid treatment, and buprenorphine/naloxone programs. He is currently overseeing the expansion of our opioid treatment program. 

ACCREDITATION: This activity has been planned and implemented by NYSDOH, AIDS Institute in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry (AAAP) and in partnership with Care Compass Network.

Funding for this initiative was made possible (in part) by grant no. 5U79TI026556-03 from SAMHSA. The views expressed in written conference materials or publications and by speakers and moderators do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the Department of Health and Human Services; nor does mention of trade names, commercial practices, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government." 

American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry is the sponsoring data organization.

Questions: Please contact Bouakham Rosetti, Project Manager at brosetti@carecompassnetwork.org for further information.