Meeting Patients Where They Are: Navigating Decision-Making Challenges During Office-Based Management of Opioid Use Disorder

AVAILABLE ON-DEMAND

Available on-demand. Login or create an account to register to view the recording.

Description

Buprenorphine treatment is evidence-based and lifesaving, yet clinicians often encounter complex situations that require individualized assessment and nuanced decision-making. Many of these challenges are not fully addressed by national guidelines and lack strong supporting research. This presentation explores common clinical dilemmas in buprenorphine treatment, reviews relevant evidence and guideline recommendations, and offers strategies for navigating clinical ambiguity while keeping the patient at the center of care. Through brief case examples, it illustrates practical approaches to decision-making in areas such as the use of buprenorphine mono-product, early refill requests, unexpected toxicology results, anonymous reports about patients, and the co-prescribing of benzodiazepines or psychostimulants.

Learning Objectives

At the conclusion of this presentation, participants should be able to:

Identify common clinical challenges in buprenorphine treatment that may lack a clear evidence base or guidance in existing guidelines.
Apply patient-centered, evidence-informed approaches to ambiguous scenarios such as early refill requests, unexpected toxicology results, and co-prescribing of controlled substances.
Recognize how fear of regulatory oversight can influence clinical decision-making and learn strategies to balance compliance with compassionate care.
Demonstrate improved clinical reasoning through case-based examples that support nuanced decision-making in complex treatment situations.

Claim Credit & Course Material

How to claim your credits & download handouts for each webinar:

Under the "Course" tab (or "Content" tab):

Complete the required course materials.
Claim your credits by clicking the "Report Credit" or "Request Credit" button on the right above the course materials.

Credit Statement

This webinar has been approved for a maximum 1, AOA Category 1-A CME credits. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation. This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) and AOAAM. The AOAAM is accredited by the AOA to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Speaker

Aaron Newcomb, DO

Dr. Aaron Newcomb, DO is board-certified in both Family and Addiction Medicine. He is a graduate of the SIU Family Medicine Residency program. He has worked exclusively with Shawnee Health Services, a Federally Qualified Health Center in Carbondale, IL, since completing his residency in 2008. Dr. Newcomb pioneered the development of an office-based opiate treatment program in 2011 and has been treating patients continuously since that time with buprenorphine. He serves as the Medical Director for the Substance Use Prevention and Recovery (SUPR) licensed treatment program at Shawnee Health Services. Dr. Newcomb is an advocate for addiction treatment and has provided many presentations on addiction, the opioid epidemic, and buprenorphine treatment at various medical and community venues locally, regionally, and even nationally. He will become President of the Illinois chapter of the American Society of Addiction Medicine in December 2025 and was named 2025 Physician Leader of the Year by the Illinois State Medical Society for his advocacy in patient-centered care and addiction medicine.

Summary

Availability:

On-Demand

Access expires on Nov 01, 2028

Cost:

Member: $0.00
Non-Member: $35.00
Resident/Intern Member: $0.00
Student Member: $0.00

Credit Offered:

1 AOA Category 1A Credit

Create Account