Pharmacist Advanced Training Technician Training | Microcredentials | Opioids | Patient Safety | Point-of-Care Testing /Test & Treat Written 4 credit hours

This 4-hour application-based training prepares pharmacists to support overdose prevention, substance use health, and infectious disease prevention through evidence-based, community-centered care strategies. 

Designed as a microcredential program, this course provides practical implementation tools and awards a digital badge upon successful completion. 

It also counts toward pharmacists’ 8-hour substance use disorder (SUD) training requirement established under the Medication Access and Training Expansion (MATE) Act for DEA registration. 

The program explores the expanding role of pharmacists in overdose response, medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD), harm reduction services, and care coordination across pharmacy and community settings. 

Course content includes:

  • Evidence-based overdose prevention and risk mitigation strategies  
  • Naloxone formulations, administration, and post-overdose support  
  • Medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD), including buprenorphine, methadone, and naltrexone  
  • Strategies to improve treatment engagement and reduce barriers to care  
  • Harm reduction tools, including fentanyl test strips and safer-use education  
  • Prevention and management considerations for HIV, Hepatitis C, and sexually transmitted infections  
  • Community engagement and outreach strategies for high-risk populations  
  • Approaches to reducing stigma and improving patient communication  

Pharmacists will also develop skills in identifying overdose risk, supporting treatment retention, coordinating care within community settings, and connecting patients to prevention and treatment resources. 

This training emphasizes practical application and interdisciplinary collaboration to support safer care, improve community health outcomes, and expand access to substance use health services. 

Earn your microcredential, fulfill part of the DEA MATE Act training requirement, and strengthen your role in overdose prevention and community-based care – enroll today.


Overdose Prevention & Substance Use Disorder - Pharmacist

Claim Your Badge

You will receive an email from Credly (our credential partner), after you complete the course, inviting you to claim your digital badge for Overdose Prevention & Substance Use Disorder - Pharmacist. This will allow you to easily share your achievement with colleagues, managers, and your professional network on LinkedIn and other platforms. When you receive the email, please click the button and create an account on Credly.com so that you can “accept” the badge.

Need help? Find a step-by-step tutorial video at this link.

Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion of this application-based CPE course, pharmacists should be able to:
1. Define evidence-based overdose risk mitigation strategies and differentiate them from abstinence-based approaches.
2. Describe the role of CHWs in supporting overdose risk mitigation strategies both in the pharmacy and during patient home visits.
3. Demonstrate how stigma and language impact care delivery and patient engagement.
4. Recognize the signs of opioid overdose and outline steps for emergency response.
5. Describe naloxone formulations, administration, and post-overdose support strategies.
6. Perform CHW-specific roles related to ordering, stocking, demonstrating use, and education of naloxone.
7. Identify evidence-based overdose prevention tools (e.g., fentanyl test strips, safer drug use kits) and their role in patient safety.
8. Describe community engagement strategies for reaching high-risk populations.
9. Implement local overdose-prevention and risk-mitigation strategies.
10. Describe how MOUD works, including buprenorphine, naltrexone, and methadone.
11 Identify the clinical value of MOUD in reducing opioid-related harm and fatalities.
12. Demonstrate how MOUD reduces overdose risk and supports treatment retention.
13. Describe the role of CHWs in dispensing, counseling, and follow-up support for patients on MOUD.
14. Identify pharmacist-specific activities (e.g., administering naltrexone) and how CHWs can assist with them.
15. Respond to signs of underdosing or treatment disengagement and support patients accordingly.
16. Recognize the unique needs of special populations on MOUD.
17. Explain strategies for improving access to MOUD in rural vs. urban settings.
18. Develop strategies to overcome barriers and support patients in underserved communities.
19. Describe how hepatitis C is transmitted and why reinfection is a high risk for people who inject drugs.
20. Explain the framework of hepatitis C testing, treatment, and curative options.
21. Execute strategies to identify coverage and access pathways for hepatitis C treatment.
22. Summarize key tools for HIV and STI prevention, including PrEP, PEP, testing, and vaccination.
23. Describe how CHWs can support prevention efforts both in pharmacies and in homes.
24. Utilize region-specific HIV data to better understand local prevention priorities.
25. Explain how drug use and sexual health risks are interrelated in vulnerable populations.
26. Identify the CHW’s role in mitigating infection risk through education and care coordination.
27. Recommend appropriate testing and prevention resources within local communities. 

Faculty

Amy Tiemeier, PharmD, BCPS

Disclosures:

The content creators have no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose.

Emily Palm, MBA, MSW

Disclosures:

The content creators have no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose.

Francisco M. Franco, PharmD, MS, AAHIVP

Disclosures:

The content creators have no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose.

Heather Lyons-Burney, Pharm.D.

Disclosures:

The content creators have no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose.

Jordan Khail, PharmD, RPh

Disclosures:

The content creators have no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose.

Phillip L. Marotta, PhD, MPH

Disclosures:

The content creators have no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose.

Course Details