Course Summary

An opioid use disorder is a complex process that is caused by repeated exposure to opioids, and there are genetic, psychological, social, and physical factors that contribute to its development. Repeated use of an opioid provides strong physical and psychological motivators to continue taking it and intense physical and psychological discouragements to stop. Buprenorphine-naloxone is discussed in terms of the treatment of opioid substance use, with the primary goal of treatment being to discourage patients from using it.  The varied methods of drug use and existing treatment options aimed at prevention, as well as the clinical risks and side effects of buprenorphine-naloxone treatment, are reviewed.

Course Format

Homestudy

Course Syllabus

• Introduction
• Opioid Use and Clinical Effects
  • Opioid Mechanism of Action and Clinical Effects
• Prescribing Considerations for Opioid Treatment
• Prescribing Privileges for Buprenorphine
• Pharmacological Profile
  • Buprenorphine
  • Naloxone
• Opioid Use Disorder
  • Physiological Effects
  • Opioid Withdrawal Symptoms
• Medically Supervised Opioid Withdrawal
  • Steps of Buprenorphine-Naloxone Use
  • Medication-Assisted Treatment
• Buprenorphine Overdose and Pediatric Exposure
• Novel Medication-Assisted-Treatment Medications
  • Vivitrol
  • Sublocade
  • Brixadi
  • Probuphine
• Case Studies: Suboxone Treatment
• Summary

Author

Richard Daniels, PharmD, BCPS

Richard “Cole” Daniels earned his Doctor of Pharmacy(PharmD) from the Skaggs School of Pharmacy at the University of Montana in 2018. Throughout pharmacy school he completed a 3-year internship at Community Medical Center in Missoula, Montana in which he gained valuable experience in an acute care setting. Cole currently serves as a psychiatric clinical staff pharmacist at the Montana State Hospital. He has over 11 years of pharmacy experience having worked in several settings including retail, acute care, and inpatient psychiatric care. Cole has a diverse set of interests. However, acute care medicine, infectious disease, pain management, and asthma/COPD are a primary focus of his at the Montana State Hospital. He obtained board certification as a certified pharmacotherapy specialist in the Spring of 2022.