Opioid Use Disorder: Overdose & Beyond The ED

Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) continues to be a critical public health issue, with overdose deaths and opioid-related complications surging across the United States. This 1-hour CME/CE course addresses the complexities of managing OUD, with a specific focus on interventions beyond the emergency department (ED). Designed for healthcare professionals across disciplines, this course offers up-to-date strategies for recognizing OUD, responding to opioid overdoses—including those involving polysubstance use—and implementing effective treatment plans aimed at long-term abstinence and recovery.

Participants will learn how to recognize the signs of OUD in clinical practice, reverse overdoses using evidence-based protocols like naloxone administration, and improve care transitions by integrating behavioral, pharmacologic, and harm reduction strategies. The course emphasizes proactive patient engagement and continuity of care to prevent repeat overdoses and enhance outcomes. This training is highly relevant for providers working in acute care, urgent care, primary care, addiction medicine, and behavioral health settings.

Educational Objectives

• Recognize the signs and symptoms of Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) in clinical and emergency settings.
• Describe evidence-based approaches for reversing opioid overdose and managing complications from associated substances.
• Identify strategies to maximize the effectiveness of opioid abstinence interventions and improve long-term recovery outcomes.

Who Should Take This Course

This course is ideal for:

• Emergency medicine, urgent care, and primary care clinicians managing acute presentations of OUD.
• Physicians, physician assistants, nurses, and behavioral health providers are involved in substance use treatment.
• Healthcare professionals in public health, addiction recovery programs, or transitional care services.
• Providers looking to fulfill CE requirements in addiction medicine, opioid overdose response, or controlled substance prescribing.

Did You Know?

• More than 80,000 people in the U.S. died from an opioid overdose in 2022. [CDC]
• Naloxone can reverse an opioid overdose if administered within minutes. [NIH]
• Polysubstance overdoses involving opioids, benzodiazepines, or stimulants are on the rise. [SAMHSA, 2023]
• Post-overdose care and follow-up significantly reduce repeat overdoses and mortality. [NEJM, 2021]
• Effective linkage to treatment from the ED can reduce opioid-related deaths by up to 60%. [JAMA, 2020]