Medication Approaches for Patients With Opioid Use Disorders: Differences Between Primary Care Clinics and Specialty Addiction Treatment Programs

Medication Approaches for Patients With Opioid Use Disorders: Differences Between Primary Care Clinics and Specialty Addiction Treatment Programs

Published: July/August 2026
Journal Article

Overview

This one-hour, journal article-based activity examines differences in medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) implementation between primary care clinics and specialty addiction treatment programs. Learners will explore how organizational capacity, workforce characteristics, implementation climate, and community-level factors influence the adoption and delivery of MOUD across treatment settings. The article also examines opportunities to tailor implementation strategies to address setting-specific barriers, improve access to evidence-based treatment, and support equitable expansion of MOUD services for individuals with opioid use disorder. 

The target audience for this intermediate continuing education activity includes physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and other clinicians, researchers, students, and policymakers. 

This activity addresses the following ACGME Core Competencies: Patient Care, Medical Knowledge, Practice-Based Learning and Improvement, and Systems-Based Practice.

Abstract

Aims 

Efforts to increase access to highly effective medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) have largely focused on primary care. Ironically, many specialty addiction treatment programs have yet to adopt MOUD. To bring MOUD access to scale, researchers need to better understand medication practices across these 2 major portals of care for patients with opioid use disorder (OUD). In this study, our team examined baseline prescribing data from 62 primary care clinics and specialty addiction treatment programs (SATPs) participating in MOUD implementation endeavors across 2 states.

Methods

Our primary outcome included MOUD prescribing practices, measured by the integrating medications for addiction treatment (IMAT), which includes 7 dimensions of guideline-adherent delivery of MOUD, and an additional subscale on low threshold care. We also measured reach of MOUD to patients and adoption as the number of current MOUD prescribers. Secondary outcomes included community characteristics surrounding each type of organization. Descriptive statistics and bivariate tests explored differences between primary and specialty care settings.

Results

SATPs had lower MOUD capacity and implementation as compared with primary care clinics. Specialty settings also had lower organizational support for low threshold prescribing. SATPs were located in counties with higher overdose rates, higher unemployment, fewer MOUD prescribers, and with more opioid prescriptions per capita.

Conclusion

SATPs have lower MOUD implementation capacity than their primary care counterparts and are more likely to be in counties with greater OUD-related needs, economic distress, and fewer treatment resources. Selecting more precise implementation support strategies for SATPs that are late adopters of MOUD is a major need.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this activity, learners will be able to:

1. Compare MOUD implementation capacity and prescribing approaches between primary care clinics and specialty addiction treatment programs.
2. Identify organizational and community-level factors associated with differences in MOUD implementation across treatment settings. 
3. Evaluate implementation strategies that may improve MOUD adoption and access in specialty addiction treatment programs based on the study findings. 

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 eLearning Center credit. Automatic full refunds will be made for any course with a live-course component that has been canceled.

Open Registration: 07/30/2026 - 02/10/2029

Close Access Date: 02/10/2029

Course Instructions

1. Click on the Contents tab to begin this activity.
2. Click Download Journal Article in the box titled Journal Article and read the journal article in its entirety. 
3. Click Complete Post-Test to answer multiple-choice questions. You will have 10 attempts to pass and must answer 2 out of 3 questions correctly.
4. 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.
5. 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 & 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: 1.00 Credit
• Nurses & NPs: 1.00 Nursing Contact Hour
• PAs: 1.00 Credit
• Pharmacology Hour: 1 Hour
• Interprofessional Continuing Education: 1.00 Credit
• Certified Counselors: NBCC Contact Hours Not Offered
   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: 1.00 Medical Knowledge
• ABP MOC: 1.00 Lifelong Learning & Self-Assessment
• ABS Continuing Certification: 1.00 Accredited CME
• ABA MOCA 2.0®*: 1.00 Lifelong Learning 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 Preventive 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.

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. 

See the attached article and pdf for a list of disclosures