Meeting the DEA Mate Act Training Requirement for Medical Professionals

What Is the 2023 DEA MATE ACT?

The DEA MATE (Medication Access and Treatment Expansion) Act, enacted in June 2023 as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, is an attempt to address the opioid epidemic through addiction medication access and physician training. This legislation mandates continuing medical education for medical practitioners registered with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Notably, it imposes a one-time eight-hour training requirement focused on the treatment and management of patients with opioid or other substance use disorders.

Starting June 27, 2023, all practitioners, whether registering for the first time or renewing, must affirm their completion of eight hours of training in the treatment and management of patients with opioid or other substance use disorders by checking a designated box on their online DEA registration form.

DEA MATE Training Requirements for Medical Practitioners

Who needs to comply?

All practitioners registered with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), except those exclusively identified as veterinarians, will need to meet the MATE Act training obligation.

What is required?

Satisfying this new training mandate will require medical professionals to engage in at least eight hours of relevant continuing medical education in opioid or other substance use disorders, as well as relevant mental health services administration. Practitioners are allowed to include past trainings from pertinent providers (refer to the official DEA letter for a complete list).

How can medical professionals meet this new training obligation?

Some groups, by the nature of their certified medical specialties, will automatically meet this new requirement, so they can automatically remain DEA-registered practitioners. Those groups include…

• Practitioners board-certified in Addiction Medicine or Addiction Psychiatry by the American Board of Medical Specialties, the American Board of Addiction Medicine, or the American Osteopathic Association.
• Practitioners graduating in good standing from a U.S. medical (allopathic or osteopathic), dental, physician assistant, or advanced practice nursing school within five years of June 27, 2023. They must have completed a comprehensive curriculum, including at least eight hours of training in treating and managing patients with opioid or other substance use disorders.

Alternate Path for All Other Practitioners:

Practitioners who don’t automatically meet the new requirement can instead meet it by accumulating a total of eight hours of training on the treatment and management of patients with opioid or other substance use disorders. This MATE Act training can be obtained through various sessions and formats, such as classroom settings, seminars at professional society meetings, or virtual courses.

Notably, past trainings on the relevant topics can be counted, including those completed before the enactment of the new training obligation on December 29, 2022. Past DATA-Waived trainings can also contribute to satisfying the eight-hour training requirement.

The training sessions do not have to occur in a single session but can be cumulative across multiple sessions, providing flexibility for practitioners to acquire the necessary knowledge and skills to treat patients overcoming opioid abuse.

When must the new training expansion MATE Act be fulfilled?

The deadline for meeting the requirement for the MATE Act is the date of the practitioner’s upcoming DEA registration submission, whether it is an initial registration or a renewal, on or after June 27, 2023. It’s important to note that this one-time training requirement affirmation will not be included in future registration renewals.

What organizations can certify these new training hours?

Several organizations can provide continuing medical education to meet the MATE Act training requirement. These include the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM), The American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry (AAAP), the American Medical Association (AMA), The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), and The American Osteopathic Association (AOA), among many other organization accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (AACCME).

A Course from The Pass Machine that Satisfies the MATE Act Requirement

If you’re looking for certified online continuing medical education that meets the new requirement for hours of training, The Pass Machine can help. The Pass Machine offers AMA-certified CME credits for physicians seeking to complete the MATE Act training requirement through a comprehensive program that addresses critical practice gaps in the identification and assessment of Opioid Use Disorder (OUD), evidence-based Medication Access and Training Expansion (MATE) protocols, and the integration of MATE into holistic treatment plans.

Upon finishing the program, healthcare professionals will enhance their ability to detect early OUD, meet evidence-based MATE protocols, and seamlessly integrate MATE into their comprehensive care plans for treating and managing patients with opioid addiction and other substance use disorders.