Critical Care Addiction Medicine: Considerations for Buprenorphine in Intubated Patients

Critical Care Addiction Medicine: Considerations for Buprenorphine in Intubated Patients

Recorded: Thursday, April 23, 2026 to Sunday, April 26, 2026
On-Demand Session

Overview

This 75-minute on-demand session from the ASAM 57th Annual Conference addresses buprenorphine initiation considerations for intubated ICU patients with OUD, including ethical principles, patient selection, and treatment protocols.

Addiction medicine consult services may be consulted to assist in the management of critically ill patients with opioid use disorder (OUD) who are intubated in the intensive care unit (ICU). There are no clear guidelines for how or when to best initiate buprenorphine in intubated patients. In this session, attendees will discuss the ethics and practice of starting buprenorphine in intubated patients and will include considerations of patient autonomy, patient selection, and dose and route of buprenorphine administration.

The target audience for this Intermediate level session includes physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, other clinicians, researchers, residents, fellows, and students.

This session addresses the following ACGME Competencies: Patient Care and Procedural Skills, Medical Knowledge.

This session addresses the following IPEC Competencies:Values and Ethics, Communication.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion, learners will be able to:

1. Reflect on the ethics principles that may guide the decision to initiate patients in the ICU on buprenorphine
2. Update protocols for an addiction medicine consult service for taking care of patients in the ICU with OUD
3. Summarize the different treatment approaches to patients with OUD in the ICU

Registration Rates

*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 eLearning 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.

Registration Open: 05/25/2026 - 04/25/2029

User Access Closed: 05/25/2029

Course Instructions

1. Click on the Contents tab to watch the on-demand recording.
2. Click Complete Post Test to answer multiple choice questions. You will have 10 attempts to pass and must answer 4 out of 5 questions correctly.
3. 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.
4. 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 eLearning Center, clicking Dashboard, and clicking Transcript/Achievements.

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Accreditation & Credit Designation Statements

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.

Physicians

The American Society of Addiction Medicine designates this enduring material for a maximum of 1.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Nurses

This activity awards 1.25 Nursing contact hours.

Pharmacology Hours

This activity has 1.0 hour(s) that satisfy the requirements for NP and PA Pharmacology Hours.

PAs

ASAM has been authorized by the American Academy of PAs (AAPA) to award AAPA Category 1.25 CME credit for activities planned in accordance with AAPA CME Criteria. This activity is designated for 1.25 AAPA Category 1 CME credits. Approval is valid until 05/25/2029.  PAs should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation.

Social Workers

As a Jointly Accredited Organization, ASAM is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved under this program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. Social workers completing this course receive 1.25 general continuing education credits.

IPCE Credit

This activity was planned by and for the healthcare team, and learners will receive 1.25 Interprofessional Continuing Education (IPCE) credits for learning and change.

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.

Other Professions - Continuing Education Credits (CEUs)

Upon completion of the activity and online evaluation, all other participants may request a certificate of participation. Participants may submit this certificate of participation to their professional organization/institute as documentation for completing this accredited continuing activity.

Maintenance of Certification (MOC) or Continuing Certification Programs (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, ABIM, ABP and ABS. By completing the online credit claim and evaluation, the learner permits ASAM to report credits to the appropriate Board. Learn more.

American Board of Anesthesiology (ABA)

This activity offers up to 1.25 CME credits, of which 1.25 credits contribute the patient safety CME component of the American Board of Anesthesiology’s redesigned Maintenance of Certification in Anesthesiology^TM (MOCA®) program, known as MOCA 2.0®. Please consult the ABA website, www.theABA.org, for a list of all MOCA 2.0 requirements.

Maintenance of Certification in Anesthesiology® and MOCA® are registered certification marks of the American Board of Anesthesiology®

American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM)

Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the evaluation component, enables the participant to earn up to 1.25 Medical Knowledge MOC points and patient safety MOC credit in the American Board of Internal Medicine's (ABIM) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program. Participants will earn MOC points equivalent to the amount of CME credits claimed for the activity. It is the CME activity provider's responsibility to submit participant completion information to ACCME for the purpose of granting ABIM MOC credit.

American Board of Pediatrics (ABP)

Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the evaluation component, enables the learner to earn up to 1.25 MOC points in the American Board of Pediatrics’ (ABP) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program. It is the CME activity provider’s responsibility to submit learner completion information to ACCME for the purpose of granting ABP MOC credit.

American Board of Preventive Medicine (ABPM)

This activity has been designed to satisfy the Lifelong Professional Development requirements of The American Board of Preventive Medicine’s Continuing Certification (CCP) requirements. These credits are not reported directly to ABPM. Please save your certificate for your records.

American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN)

This activity has been designed to satisfy the CME requirements of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology’s Continuing Certification (CC) requirements. These credits are not reported directly to ABPN. Please save your certificate for your records.

American Board of Surgery (ABS)

Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the evaluation component, enables the learner to earn credit toward the CME requirement of the American Board of Surgery’s Continuous Certification program. It is the CME activity provider's responsibility to submit learner completion information to ACCME for the purpose of granting ABS credit.

Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC)

The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada will recognize activities registered for CME for MOC as meeting the requirements for Royal College MOC Program Section 3 (Self-Assessment Programs) credits. Visit CME that Counts for Royal College MOC for more information.

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. Click here to view the full disclosure listing.