Addressing Benzodiazepine Tapering Challenges - June 2, 2025
Includes a Live Web Event on 06/02/2025 at 12:00 PM (EDT)
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Addressing Benzodiazepine Tapering Challenges
Monday, June 2, 2025
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm ET
Overview
Elevate your skills and expertise in Benzodiazepine Tapering with our webinar series, based on Joint Clinical Practice Guideline on Benzodiazepine Tapering. Participants will learn how to determine when the risks of continued Benzodiazepine prescribing outweigh the benefits for a given patient, and how to safely taper the medication when indicated in various settings. This case-based webinar will provide healthcare professionals with essential tools and knowledge to manage benzodiazepine tapers in complex cases, including those involving opioid use disorder (OUD), illicit benzodiazepine use, co-prescribing, and protracted withdrawal. Participants will learn how to navigate challenging clinical scenarios, including cases where providers may be hesitant to continue benzodiazepine prescriptions, approaches to addressing illicit benzodiazepine use, and strategies for tapering patients maintained on buprenorphine or methadone. The webinar will also cover effective patient communication techniques, including individualized messaging and best practices for referring patients to specialists when necessary. Participants will explore evidence-based strategies for managing withdrawal symptoms, mitigating risks, and developing personalized tapering plans that consider polysubstance use, non-prescribed benzodiazepine use, and barriers to care. By the end of this webinar, participants will be better prepared to address the challenges of benzodiazepine tapering in complex clinical scenarios.
Webinar Series Topics
- Considerations for Benzodiazepine Tapering
- Benzodiazepine Tapering for Older Adults
- Considerations for Tapering Benzodiazepines in Primary Care
- Addressing Benzodiazepine Tapering Challenges
This webinar series addresses the following ACGME Competencies: Patient Care, Medical Knowledge, Practice-Based Learning, and Improvement.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion, learners will be able to:
- Apply evidence-based strategies to manage withdrawal symptoms and mitigate risks associated with benzodiazepine tapers.
- Analyze the risks associated with tapering benzodiazepines in complex patients, including those with benzodiazepine use disorder, severe protracted withdrawal, non-prescribed benzodiazepine use, and concurrent opioid use or co-prescription, to inform individualized care plans.
- Develop individualized tapering plans that address patient-specific challenges, including polysubstance use, illicit benzodiazepine sourcing, and barriers to care.
Acknowledgment
The development of this Guideline was generously funded by grant U01FD007804 from the US Food and Drug Administration, the US Department of Health and Human Services. The contents are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of nor an endorsement by the FDA and Department of Health and Human Services or the US Government. The funders had no decision-making role in designing and conducting the systematic reviews, data collection, analysis, and interpretation of the data or approval privilege on the recommendations. As requested, FDA officers provided nonbinding feedback and technical support to the guideline panel and methodological team. This article was peer-reviewed before publication. These guidelines are intended to help inform clinical decision-making by prescribers and patients. They are not intended to be used for the purposes of restricting, limiting, delaying, or denying coverage for or access to a prescription issued for a legitimate medical purpose by an individual practitioner acting in the usual course of professional practice.
Registration Rates
| ASAM Learner Type | Rate |
| ASAM Member | $0 |
| Non-Member | $0 |
| Associate Member | $0 |
| Resident Member* | $0 |
| Student Member* | $0 |
*Residents, Fellows-in-training, Interns, and Students must join ASAM to receive a discounted registration rate. Click here to become an ASAM member. National and Chapter membership dues apply. There is no charge for Students to become a Member, but verification of student status is required.
Membership Question? Call ASAM at 1.301.656.3920, email us, or view the ASAM website for more information.
Refunds & Cancellations
All ASAM e-Learning Center refund requests must be made in writing to Education@ASAM.org within 90 days of purchase. Those requesting refunds for courses that are in progress will receive partial refunds or e-Learning Center credit. Automatic full refunds will be made for any course with a live-course component that has been cancelled.
Open Registration: 2/24/25 – 6/9/25
Close Date: 4/8/28
Instructions
- Click on the Contents tab to begin this activity.
- Click Complete Post Test to answer multiple choice questions. Participants will have 10 attempts to pass and must answer 4 out of 5 questions correctly.
- Click Complete Evaluation to provide valuable activity feedback. Scroll down on all questions as there may be answer options that expand past the size of the window.
- Click the button Claim Medical Credits in the box titled Claim Credits & Certificate. Choose the type of credit and click submit. Click the button View/Print Certificate to save or print your certificate. You can view/print your certificate at any time by visiting the ASAM e-Learning Center, clicking Dashboard, and clicking Transcript/Achievements.
- For Pharmacists ONLY: Complete the task entitled "Enter Pharmacist CPE Monitor Information (Pharmacists Only)". Pharmacists must claim credit and provide their eProfile ID and Birthdate via the Pharmacist CPE Monitor Information survey within 30 days of completing the activity. ASAM will not report CPE Credits claimed 30+ days after activity completion to ACPE. ASAM will not report CPE Credits without accurate and complete information. Courses offering CPE Credit will indicate the amount of credit available for pharmacists on the Credits & Disclosure Tab.
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Maryann Amirshahi
PharmD, MD, MPH, PhD
Maryann Amirshahi completed her Bachelors in Pharmacy and PharmD degrees at the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, followed by medical school at Temple University. She completed her emergency medicine residency at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, medical toxicology fellowship at the George Washington University/National Capital Poison Center, and clinical pharmacology fellowship at Children’s National Medical Center. She also received an MPH from the George Washington University focusing on environmental and occupational health. She completed her PhD at Erasmus University, with a focus on pharmacology and public health. She is board certified in emergency medicine, medical toxicology, addiction medicine, and clinical pharmacology. She is also a registered pharmacist with over a decade of practice experience and is a Board Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist. She is a Professor of Emergency Medicine at the Georgetown University School of Medicine.
Maryann practices clinically at MedStar Washington Hospital Center in Washington, DC, where she not only treats poisoned patients on a daily basis, but also plays a major role in bringing addiction care to the emergency department setting. She also is active at the health system level with roles in medication safety, opioid stewardship, and resident education. Nationally, she serves on the Board of Directors for the American College of Medical Toxicology. Maryann is a proliferative researcher with nearly 200 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters. Her research interests include medication safety, medical toxicology, drug shortages, addiction treatment in the emergency department, and prescription drug abuse.
No Relevant Disclosures
Emily Brunner
MD
Dr. Emily Brunner is an addiction medicine physician currently practicing at Sage Prairie, an outpatient addiction medicine clinic in Eagan, Minnesota. Dr. Brunner received a B.S. in neuroscience at MIT, followed by attending the University of Michigan for medical school and family practice residency. She became board certified in addiction medicine in 2014 via the practice pathway, and worked at Hazelden Betty Ford foundation for 2 years in the outpatient setting, followed by working for several years in a community hospital setting which had an inpatient cd treatment program. Dr. Brunner enjoys teaching residents and med students, and has a strong passion for helping mentor primary care physicians in adding addiction medicine services to their practice. Dr. Brunner has also been involved in ASAM at multiple levels, including as treasurer and president of the Minnesota branch of ASAM, and will be starting a role as regional director for Region VI in 2021. She is also very interested in advocacy for patients, and helping to reduce stigma at the community level and eliminate barriers for treatment of addiction as a chronic disease.
No Relevant Disclosures
Accreditation & Credits
Joint Accreditation Statement
In support of improving patient care, the American Society of Addiction Medicine is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
Credits Available
- Physicians: 1 Credit
- Nurses & NPs: 1 Nursing Contact Hour
- Pharmacology Hour: 1
- PAs: 1 Credit
- Pharmacists: 1 Credit
- Certified Counselors: 1 NBCC Contact Hour
American Society of Addiction Medicine has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7062. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. American Society of Addiction Medicine is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.
Maintenance of Certification (MOC)/Continuing Certification Program (CCP)
This activity is designed to meet the requirements for MOC/CCP for several primary physician boards and for state licensing CME requirements. MOC Credit is only reported and designated for ABA, ABP, ABIM, and ABS. By completing the online credit application and evaluation, the learner permits ASAM to report credits to the appropriate Board. Learn more.
- ABIM MOC Points: 1 Medical Knowledge | 1 Patient Safety
- ABP MOC: 1 Lifelong Learning & Self-Assessment
- ABS Continuing Certification: 1 Accredited CME
- ABA MOCA 2.0®*: 1 Lifelong Learning | 1 Patient Safety
MOCA 2.0® is a trademark of the American board of Anesthesiology®.
This activity contributes to the CME requirement for Part II: Lifelong Learning and Self-Assessment of the American board of Anesthesiology's (ABA) redesigned Maintenance of Certification in Anesthesiology Program® (MOCA®), known as MOCA 2.0®. Please consult the ABA website, https://www.theaba.org/, for a list of all MOCA 2.0 requirements.
Additionally, this activity has been designed to satisfy the requirements of the following primary physician board certification requirements. Please confirm with your individual Board.
- American Board of Addiction Medicine (ABAM)
- American Board of Preventative Medicine (ABPM)
- American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN)
- Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC)
Certificates for other professions
All participants may request a certificate of participation upon completion of the activity and an online evaluation confirming their participation. Learners are strongly advised to contact their professional licensing board or professional association to confirm this certificate will be accepted as evidence supporting continuing education requirements.
California Association for Drug/Alcohol Educators (CAADE)
This educational program is approved by CAADE: #CP40 999 1225.
California Association of DUI Treatment Centers (CADTP)
This educational program is approved by CADTP: #205.
California Consortium of Addiction Programs and Professionals (CCAPP)
This educational program is approved by CCAPP: #OS-20-330-0227.
Disclosure Information
In accordance with the disclosure policies of ASAM and Joint Accreditation, the effort is made to ensure balance, independence, objectivity, and scientific rigor in all accredited continuing education activities. These policies include identifying and mitigating all relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies for those involved in the creation and dissemination of accredited continuing education. Speaker disclosures are listed on the speakers tab.
See the attached pdf for a list of disclosures.
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