Innovative Strategies for Medication Initiation in Opioid Use Disorder
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- 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
Innovative Strategies for Medication Initiation in Opioid Use Disorder
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 innovative medication initiation strategies for opioid use disorder, exploring novel buprenorphine, methadone, and naltrexone approaches for synthetic opioids.
For the past three years, Drs. Herring, Weimer, Kehoe, and Azar have delivered a highly rated and interactive session on buprenorphine initiation. This year's workshop builds on that foundation, focusing on cutting-edge strategies for initiating methadone, buprenorphine, and buprenorphine extended-release across a variety of clinical scenarios in pre-hospital, hospital, and outpatient settings.
The target audience for this Advanced level session includes physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, other clinicians, researchers, residents, fellows, and students.
This session addresses the following ACGME Competencies: Medical Knowledge, Practice-based Learning and Improvement.
This session addresses the following IPEC Competencies: Roles and Responsibilities, Teams and Teamwork.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion, learners will be able to:
- Describe the unique pharmacology of high-potency synthetic opioids and their implications for initiating medications for opioid use disorder.
- Summarize the current evidence base supporting novel buprenorphine, methadone, and naltrexone initiation strategies.
- Discuss the pharmacologic rationale, clinical applications, and relative risks and benefits of each initiation approach.
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: 05/25/2026 - 04/25/2029
User Access Closed: 05/25/2029
Course Instructions
- Click on the Contents tab to watch the on-demand recording.
- 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.
- 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.
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Pouya Azar
MD, FRCPC, DABAM
Pouya Azar, MD, FRCPC, DABAM is the Medical Manager, a psychiatrist and addiction medicine physician at the Complex Pain and Addiction Service (CPAS) of Vancouver General Hospital (VGH), as well as a pain physician at the Transitional Pain Clinic (TPC) also at VGH, and a Clinical Instructor at the University of British Columbia Department of Psychiatry. His clinical interests include adult, child and adolescent addiction psychiatry as well as pain medicine. It is through his work on the CPAS service where Dr. Azar has pioneered several opioid use disorder treatment protocols including buprenorphine induction strategies such as the fentanyl bridge as well as rapid micro-dosing induction protocols, which have been practice changing in the field of addiction medicine, have led to multiple publications, and are currently being used in hospitals all over the world. Dr. Azar is also the Co-Principal Investigator of the first randomized controlled trial which compares buprenorphine/naloxone rapid micro-induction with standard induction. In addition to Dr. Azar’s work at VGH, he works as the Addiction Lead at Foundry Vancouver, a clinic for homeless youth, through St. Paul’s Hospital. Through this work, Dr. Azar has initiated the assertive outreach opioid agonist therapy (OAT) using innovative strategies such as mobile telehealth as well as contingency management to enhance therapy adherence.
Dr. Azar has developed creative strategies for engaging the homeless youth population in treatment, such as hip-hop therapy and mindful martial arts groups. In addition to his clinical interests, Dr. Azar greatly enjoys and is heavily involved with medical education.
Disclosures:
Indivior: Consultant/Advisory Board (Terminated, October 5, 2024); Indivior: Speaker/Honoraria
(includes speakers bureau, symposia, and expert witness) (Terminated, October 5, 2024)
Andrew Herring
MD
Dr. Andrew Herring graduated from Harvard Medical School and completed his residency in emergency medicine at Highland Hospital—Alameda Health System (AHS) in Oakland, CA where he continues as an attending emergency physician and Director of Research. He is the AHS Medical Director of Substance Use Disorder Treatment and the past Medical Director of the AHS Functional Restoration Pain Clinic. Dr Herring has led national efforts to transform hospital-based care for substance use disorders and his work has been featured in local and national press including the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and National Public Radio. Dr. Herring co-founded and is a PI at CA BRIDGE, one of largest state-level efforts to promote access to medication for opioid use disorder in the hospital settings. Dr. Herring’s research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) and has been published in numerous journals including JAMA Open and Annals of Emergency Medicine; his work focuses on treatment of substance use disorders and pain management. He is a lead investigator for NIDA funded studies. Dr. Herring is board-certified in Emergency Medicine, Addiction Medicine, and Pain Medicine and is a Volunteer Assistant Clinical Professor at the University of California, San Francisco.
No relevant financial relationships
Melissa B. Weimer
DO, MCR, FASAM
Melissa Weimer is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Addiction Medicine. She is an Associate Professor of Medicine and Public Health and Associate Program Director of the Addiction Medicine Fellowship at Yale University. She is an expert in hospital-based care for patients with substance use disorders and has worked with colleagues to develop successful hospital-based Addiction Medicine Consult Services at both Oregon Health & Science University and Yale University/Yale New Haven Hospital. Dr. Weimer is also a national leader in Addiction Medicine education and has developed curricula for substance use disorder evaluation and treatment and safe and effective pain treatment. Dr. Weimer serves on the national board of ASAM and is the Chair of the ASAM Clinical Practice Guidelines Methodology and Oversight Committee.
No relevant financial disclosures.
Dr. Laura G. Kehoe, MD, MPH, FASAM
Medical Director, MGH SUD Bridge Cliic, Assistant Professor in Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School
Dr. Kehoe is the medical director of the Massachusetts General Hospital Substance Use Disorder Bridge Clinic, an immediate access, low barrier transitional clinic, which is a component of MGH’s Substance Use Disorder Initiative. She is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and she received her A.B. from Washington University in St. Louis, her MD from Tufts University School of Medicine, and her MPH from Boston University School of Public Health. She completed her residency in internal medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, and is board certified in both internal medicine and addiction medicine. She has cared for patients in primary care, inpatient, residential and outpatient addiction treatment settings, and as a medical director at a Boston area methadone maintenance treatment program.
Dr. Kehoe was the co-chair of the hospital-wide Substance Use Disorder Education Committee, leads buprenorphine trainings for the MGH ED "Get Waivered" program, and supervises MGH addiction medicine fellowship trainees.
She teaches locally, regionally and nationally, is a PCSS mentor, member of ASAM's Prisoner Health Interest Group and the Annual Conference Planning Committee, and Secretary of Massachusetts ASAM chapter.
In addition to providing clinical care and teaching, Dr. Kehoe co-founded W.A.T.E.R.town (Watertown Access to Treatment Education and Recovery), a community coalition working to expand prevention, intervention and treatment for people with substance use disorder in Watertown, MA, for which she received the Harvard Medical School Dean’s Community Service Faculty Award.
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 1.25 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 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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