New Opioid Agonist Treatment Training Requirements Now in Effect
As of January 1, 2019, new Opioid Agonist Treatment training requirements are now in effect.
A new Opioid Agonist Treatment Compliance and Management Program (OAT-CAMPP) for community pharmacy has been developed aimed at reducing stigma and expanding pharmacists’ knowledge about methadone, buprenorphine/naloxone and slow-release oral morphine.
OAT-CAMPP, administered by the BC Pharmacy Association addresses gaps in the College’s current MMT training program by providing additional education for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians involved in delivering care to patients with opioid use disorder.
The program, comprised of both online and in-person components, includes training on buprenorphine/naloxone, methadone and slow release oral morphine maintenance treatments, as well as on opioid use disorder itself. Additionally, with pharmacists often on the front lines of the opioid crisis, this training program also aims to improve the experience and of people receiving treatment. It includes a patient-centred approach, discussing lived experiences of patients and communication strategies to reduce stigma and increase patient engagement.
OAT-CAMPP aligns with the College’s updated Professional Practice Policy–66: Opioid Agonist Treatment (PPP-66), and will replace the College’s current MMT training program.
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Registration for the Opioid Agonist Treatment Compliance and Management Program is now open Register Here |
For additional information about the program and to register, visit the BC Pharmacy Association’s Opioid Agonist Treatment Compliance and Management Program page.
Transition Period to Meet New Opioid Agonist Treatment training requirements
The new training requirements are effective as of January 1, 2019. A transition period will take place up until March 31, 2021 during which PPP-66 will require pharmacy managers, staff pharmacists, relief pharmacists and pharmacy technicians employed in a community pharmacy that provides services related to buprenorphine/naloxone maintenance treatment, methadone maintenance treatment or slow release oral morphine maintenance treatment to complete either the College’s existing MMT training program or the BCPhA’s new OAT-CAMPP course.
Pharmacy technicians will only need to complete the online component of OAT-CAMPP. The content of the in-person workshop focuses primarily on clinical cases that are not as relevant for pharmacy technicians.
By March 31, 2021, the College’s MMT training program will no longer be available. Completion of the OAT-CAMPP course will be needed to fulfill the training requirement outlined in PPP-66.
During the transition period, registrants practicing in a community pharmacy that provides pharmacy services related to opioid agonist treatment are strongly encouraged to complete the OAT-CAMPP program as soon as practical.
Declaration of Completion
Once a pharmacist or pharmacy technician has successfully completed the College’s Opioid Agonist Treatment requirements, they can submit a declaration of completion through the College’s eServices website.
Learn more about how to submit declarations at bcpharmacists.org/declarations.