Wednesday, May 8, 2024
5/8/2024
Abstract: The University of the Sciences (USCI) Physician Assistant (PA) Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) Training Integration Program (USCI-MAT) will provide PA students with the necessary training to deliver effective MAT, including buprenorphine, to substance use disorder (SUD) and opioid use disorder (OUD) patients within diverse clinical settings. MAT for OUD includes the provision of three main medications: methadone, buprenorphine, and naloxone. It is a key intervention known to help patients with OUD, but providers require additional training and a DATA-waiver to prescribe certain medications for OUD treatment (i.e., Drug Addiction Treatment Act of 2000). The purpose of the USCI-MAT Program is to fully integrate the complete 24-hour American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry (AAAP) DATA 2000 waiver training program as well as Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) training into the core curriculum of the USCI PA program. A combination of self-study, in-class facilitated discussion, and clinical placement approaches will be employed to ensure all students are prepared to treat patients with opioid use disorder (OUD) upon graduation from USCI. The primary goal of the project is to increase the number of providers who are certified to provide MAT. This project will be implemented using a highly detailed strategic integration plan developed by a program Executive Committee and aims to train 119 PA students over the three-year grant period (i.e., approximately 40 students each year). A combination of surveys, trainee tracking sheets, proficiency checklists, and qualitative interviews will be used to collect data throughout the length of the program. The collected data will be used to ensure all training goals and requirements are achieved, for evaluating PA student perceptions, attitudes and satisfaction towards the program, and to evaluate implementation of MAT services within clinical practice settings post-graduation from the USCI PA program. In 2019, Pennsylvania had one of the highest rates of age-adjusted drug overdose deaths in the nation, with 35.6 deaths per 100,000 population and 4,377 total deaths reported that year. According to the 2018-2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, only 6.3% of individuals in Pennsylvania needing SUD treatment received it, and while there are 168,450 MAT treatment slots in Pennsylvania, 20 of 67 counties within Pennsylvania lack MAT providers (DATA-waivered) within their borders. Although PAs work across many different clinical practice settings and are in an opportune position to address substance use with their patients, many do not hold a DATA-waiver to prescribe these medications for OUD. Reasons for not obtaining the waiver include a lack of training, a lack of confidence in their ability to manage OUD, a lack of available mental health or psychosocial services, and time constraints. Training PAs through this program will lead to an increased capacity to provide evidence-based treatment for patients in Philadelphia and surrounding areas hit hard by the opioid crisis.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).
