New DEA 8-Hour Training Requirement: Everything You Need to Know for Compliance

Orbit Staff -
Every provider with a DEA license has new CME requirements due at license renewal.

If you have a DEA license, you have new CME requirements from the DEA. With the recent enactment of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, the DEA now requires you to complete a one-time, eight-hour training requirement on the treatment and management of patients with opioid or other substance use disorders. In this blog post, we'll cover everything you need to know to ensure compliance with this new training requirement.

Who needs to comply?
Anyone with a DEA license, regardless of your scope of practice. The only exception is practitioners that are solely veterinarians.

How do I report compliance?
Starting on June 27, 2023, practitioners will need to affirm that they have completed the new training requirement by checking a box on their online DEA registration form, whether they are completing their initial registration application or renewing their registration.

What is my deadline for compliance?
Your deadline is the date of your next scheduled DEA registration submission—regardless of whether it is an initial registration or a renewal registration—on or after June 27, 2023. This is a one-time training requirement and will not be a part of future registration renewals.

How do I satisfy the new DEA training requirement? You have three options:

1. Board certification or medical school route: Certain groups of practitioners are deemed to have satisfied this training. They include:

  • Practitioners board certified in addiction medicine or addiction psychiatry from recognized boards.
  • Practitioners who graduated in good standing from a U.S. medical, dental, physician assistant, or advanced practice nursing school within five years of June 27, 2023, and completed a comprehensive curriculum that included at least eight hours of relevant training.

2. CME route: Practitioners can also satisfy this training by engaging in a total of eight hours of training on the treatment and management of patients with opioid or other substance use disorders from accredited groups. Some key points regarding this training include:

  • The training can be cumulative across multiple sessions.
  • Past training and DATA-Waived training count towards the eight-hour requirement.
  • Training can occur in various formats, such as classroom settings, seminars at professional society meetings, or virtual offerings like the credit you earn with Orbit.

Using Orbit to finish your DEA requirement

Orbit makes it easy to earn the one-time 8-credit DEA requirement by reviewing abstracts and articles related to controlled substances on your browser (Chrome or MS Edge) or iOS device.

  1. Use your existing Orbit account, or sign up for any DEA plan. Select Micro if you just need the 8 credits. Select Basic or Pro if you want better pricing per credit.
  2. Follow these getting started instructions for Edge or Chrome browser (or these instructions for iOS) and start earning your DEA credits. If you are on a trial, you will need to activate your subscription after redeeming 0.5 credits, which is when your credit card is charged.
  3. Cancel your plan if you don't want auto-renewal, or upgrade your plan if you want to earn all of your credit through browsing. Orbit has direct sync to ABIM, ABA, and ABPath. If you have just one state license, Orbit can also help you earn some or all of your state-specific requirements.
  4. Email support@orbitcme.com for help. The team is based in California.

Bottom Line

Complying with the DEA's new one-time, eight-hour training requirement is essential for all registered practitioners. Ensure that you meet the requirements and continue to provide the best care to your patients with opioid or other substance use disorders.

References

  1. DEA guidance on the 8-hour requirement, DEA. Published March 27, 2023

2. How to satisfy the 8-hour DEA training requirement, Orbit Help Desk, first published April 10, 2023.

— Orbit Staff

About Orbit

Orbit provides streamlined solutions for healthcare providers to complete all of their CME requirements, including the new DEA requirement for 8 hours of CME. Get started with any specialty-specific plan at orbitcme.com, or the DEA-specific plans. Check out the Orbit Help Desk, or email support@orbitcme.com for help getting started.