
Implementing SAMHSA's Final Rule: Challenges and Outcomes for Opioid Treatment Programs
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Register
- Non-Member - $39
- Regular Member - $29
- Retired - $29
- Early Career Physician - $29
- Resident - $19
- Student - $19
- Associate - $19
- ASAM Staff - Free!
- International Member - $29
- Emeritus Member - $29
- Provisional Member - $29
- Fellow Member - $29
- Honorary Member - $29
- CRT Member - $29
Implementing SAMHSA's Final Rule: Challenges and Outcomes for Opioid Treatment Programs
Recorded: Thursday, April 24, 2025 to Sunday, April 27, 2025
On-Demand Session
Overview
This 75-minute on-demand session from the ASAM 56th Annual Conference addresses the history and key changes in SAMHSA's Final Rule for Opioid Treatment Programs, with guidance on policy development for providers and an analysis of the rule's impact on patient outcomes.
This session will explore the challenges and outcomes associated with implementing the Final Rule across 60 OTPs in 12 states. We will present data comparing states that have adopted the new policies with those that have not, offering insight into the operational and clinical impact. Attendees will gain practical strategies for navigating regulatory changes and enhancing patient outcomes in their OTPs.
The target audience for this Intermediate level session includes physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, other clinicians, researchers, residents, fellows, students, and counselors.
This session addresses the following ACGME Competencies:Practice-based Learning and Improvement, Systems-based Practice.
This session addresses the following IPEC Competencies: Values and Ethics, Roles and Responsibilities, Interprofessional Communication, Teams and Teamwork.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion, learners will be able to:
- Understand the history of SAMHSA regulations of Opioid Treatment Programs and the changes that were included in the Final Rule, published in April 2024.
- How to interpret the Final Rule changes and create policies and procedures for medical providers, nurses, and counselors working in Opioid Treatment Programs.
- Understand the impact of the Final Rule changes on patient outcomes, including retention in treatment, drug screening, and social determinants of health.
Registration Rates
Rate Description | Rate |
ASAM Member | $29 |
Non-Member | $39 |
Associate Member | $19 |
Resident Member* | $19 |
Student Member* | $19 |
*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: 05/26/2025 - 04/26/2028
User Access Closed: 05/26/2028
Course Instructions
- Click on the Contents tab to watch the on-demand recording.
- 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 eLearning 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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Robert Sherrick, MD, DFASAM
Chief Science Officer
Community Medical Services
Dr. Robert Sherrick, MD, DFASAM, is Chief Science Officer for Community Medical Services, a company that serves patients through over 70 Opioid Treatment Programs in 12 states. He also has experience working at an inpatient addiction treatment facility in Kalispell, Pathways Treatment Center, treating all forms of Substance Use Disorders and dual diagnosis patients.
Dr. Sherrick has been providing Medication Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder since 2003, initially in an office setting using buprenorphine and subsequently with methadone in Opioid Treatment Programs. He established a state-wide buprenorphine treatment program for VA Montana with extensive use of telemedicine. He is board certified in Internal Medicine and in Addiction Medicine through the American Board of Preventative Medicine. He is Past President of the Northwest Chapter of the American Society of Addiction Medicine.

Hillary Tamar, MD, FASAM
Eastern Territory Medical Director
Community Medical Services
Dr. Hillary Tamar is the Medical Director of Community Medical Services' Eastern Territory, overseeing Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and Texas. Dr. Tamar completed her undergraduate studies at Marquette University, and her medical education at Chicago Medical School. She trained in Family Medicine at the University of Arizona-Phoenix, and then went on to complete a fellowship program in Addiction Medicine at Swedish Medical Center, in Seattle, WA. Her special interests within Addiction Medicine include federal and state opioid treatment program regulation, pregnant patients with substance use disorders, and harm reduction.

Mark Schaefer, EDS, MA
Executive Vice President of Clinical Services
Community Medical Services
I am the Executive Vice President of Clinical Services at Community Medical Services and have dedicated my professional career to serving individuals in need. I completed my degree in School Psychology at Minot State University, serving adolescents in residential treatment. During this time I also completed my Masters degree in Clinical Psychology. I provided services at the residential treatment center for 15 years, managing a site, then moving to providing psychotherapy, and finally serving as the Clinical Director for the multi-site agency. I then worked with a non-profit to provide crisis counseling services to individuals who had been impacted by the 2011 flood in North Dakota. Following that work, I spent the next 4 years serving as the Head Start State Collaboration Office Administrator, working with Head Start locations and early childhood services across the state to improve services and collaboration between entities. I then entered and opened the first Opioid Treatment Program in North Dakota with Community Medical services. I served as the first Regional Director, then Vice President of Operations for our Northern Territory, and finally as the Executive Vice President of Clinical Services.
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.

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 05/06/2028. PAs should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation.
Pharmacology Hours
This activity has .50 hour that satisfies the requirements for NP and PA Pharmacology Hours.
Pharmacists
This activity will offer 1.25 pharmacy contact hours (.125 CEUs). Pharmacists will be asked to provide identifying information (e-Profile ID and DOB in MMDD format) in order to receive credit and allow reporting to CPE Monitor. (UAN: JA0000141-0000-25-021-H01)
Note for pharmacists: Not all courses offer CPE Credit. For courses that do offer CPE Credit, 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.
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-20-330-1224.
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)
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 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 AnesthesiologyTM (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.
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