Medication Assisted Treatment for Opioid Dependence

Medication Assisted Treatment for Opioid Dependence

The RACGP > Faculties > RACGP Victoria > Medication Assisted Treatment for Opioid Dependence (MATOD)

Elevate your expertise in opioid agonist therapy and addiction support with our comprehensive Medication Assisted Treatment for Opioid Dependence (MATOD) program. Developed exclusively for Victorian medical health professionals, GPs, future GPs, and nurse practitioners; each module serves as a building block, creating a seamless progression towards actionable outcomes in your daily practice.

Boost your confidence, refine your skills, and enhance patient care in this critical area of public health.

About the program

The Department of Health offers free training for medical practitioners, nurse practitioners and pharmacists who wish to be involved in the pharmacotherapy program. The RACGP provides accredited training for GPs, Nurse Practitioners and other health practitioners in Medication Assisted Treatment for Opioid Dependence (MATOD).

This program can be completed in either an online or hybrid format.

On completion of this program, prescribers will be trained and recognised as an authorised prescriber for methadone and buprenorphine based assisted treatment of opioid dependence.

Why complete it? 

You will gain an increased knowledge to build your confidence in the skills to prescribe opioid agonist therapy. You will have the opportunity to work through case studies, clinical scenarios, clinical audits and quizzes to deepen your understanding.

Upon completion of this training, you would be authorised to prescribe methadone and buprenorphine based opioid agonist therapy for more than ten patients.

By completing the entirety of this course, you may be eligible for up to 21 hours of CPD.

Testimonials

Feedback from participants has been very positive with GPs indicating that the training significantly increased their confidence in opioid agonist therapy:

CPD

Online MATOD Program

The online MATOD program is a self-paced, self-guided online program completed through gplearning. Modules will be ensure confidence and understanding of the basic concepts of opioids before identifying ways to implement opioid agonist therapy in your practice. 

Module Titles

Description

Module 1:
Opioids and Concepts

Discover the fundamental physiology and pharmacology of opioids, delve into addiction concepts, and explore the role of opioid agonist therapy.

Learning outcomes:

  • Identify opioid toxicity in a patient requesting a prescription for opioids.

  • Recognise opioid withdrawal in a patient requesting a prescription for opioids.

  • Decide when opioid use disorder is present in a patient requesting a prescription of opioids.

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Module 2:
Kinetics and Dynamics

Explore how the body processes methadone and buprenorphine and understand the effects on the body. Compare formulations and dynamics and consider drug interactions.

Learning Outcomes:

  • Compare the formulations of methadone and buprenorphine.

  • Compare the dynamics of methadone and buprenorphine.

  • Compare the dynamics of sublingual buprenorphine and long-acting injectable buprenorphine.

  • Detail the kinetics of methadone and buprenorphine to case management.

  • With consideration to polypharmacy, identify important drug-drug interactions relevant to opioid agonist therapy.

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Module 3:
Clinical Assessment

Investigate patient assessment methods in the Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD) treatment space.

Learning Outcomes:

  • Explore an assessment plan for any patient presenting with a suspected opioid use disorder.

  • Explain the difference in the assessments of patients with suspected prescription opioid use disorder versus heroin use disorder.

  • Discuss the role of testing for patients with opioid use disorder.

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Module 4:
The Patient Arc

Examine the clinical trajectory of opioid agonist therapy, from patient induction to treatment cessation, comparing options for acute withdrawal and long-term therapy.

Learning Outcomes:

  • Compare treatment options for both acute withdrawal management and long-term opioid therapy for patients presenting with opioid use disorder.

  • Explain how to manage a patient arc on methadone.

  • Explain how to manage a patient arc on sublingual buprenorphine.

  • Explain how to manage a patient arc on long-acting injectable buprenorphine.

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Module 5:
Special Circumstances

Explore specific clinical scenarios impacting opioid agonist therapy, including intoxication and overdoses, transfers, hepatorenal impairment and pain management.

Learning Outcomes:

  • Detail how vomiting, intoxication and overdose are managed for in the context of opioid agonist therapy.

  • Describe how to manage the transfer of a patent between various types of opioid agonist therapy.

  • Discuss how to manage a patient with hepatorenal impairment on opioid agonist therapy.

  • Discuss how to manage acute pain in the context of opioid agonist therapy.

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Module 6:
Pregnancy and Lactation

Address opioid agonist therapy delivery during pregnancy and lactation, considering the risks of neonatal abstinence syndrome.

Learning Outcomes:

  • Discuss the principles of opioid agonist therapy in each stage of pregnancy peripartum and post-partum.

  • Identify the risks of opioid withdrawal during pregnancy.

  • Recognise how opioid agonist therapy dosing requirements may change in pregnancy.

  • Recognise the safety profile of opioid agonist therapy during breast feeding.

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Module 7:
Opioid Agonist Therapy in Victoria

Focus on the practical and medico-legal aspects of delivering opioid agonist therapy in Victoria.

Learning Outcomes:

  • Explain what is required within a treatment plan for patients with opioid use disorder.

  • Understand the Victorian medicolegal context to be able to manage patients with opioid use disorder.

  • Provide appropriate overdose management advice.

  • Identify where to seek help, support, and advice regarding the management of patients with opioid use disorder within the Victorian context.

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Module 8:
Nurse Practitioner Perspective

Designed to support nurses and nurse practitioners working in the Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD) space, this module provides a reflective exploration of addiction care through the nursing lens. Gain insights into collaborating alongside GPs, and enrich your understanding of clinical practices in this specialised field.

Learning Outcomes:

  • Understand the context for Nurse Practitioners in the opioid agonist therapy space.

  • Understand the entry points for Nurse Practitioners into the opioid agonist therapy treatment space.

  • Understand the clinical practice for Nurse Practitioners within the opioid agonist therapy treatment space.

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Register for the online MATOD program

Register below to attend the program 

RACGP Members register here  Non members register here 

Face-to-face workshops (hybrid)

About the workshop

The face-to-face MATOD workshops are a hybrid format. They will consist of some self-paced, self-guided online learning completed through our online learning platform gplearning. This will then be followed by a face-to-face workshop.

These workshops will be led by an experienced GP who is a current prescriber of opioid agonist therapy.

You will have an opportunity to interact with peers, look at clinical scenarios, deepen knowledge and ask questions to build confidence in your understanding of MATOD prescribing.

Need more information?

For further details contact the Victorian Faculty team on