Medication Access & Training Expansion (MATE) Act

The MATE Act standardizes substance use disorder training to ensure that all prescribers of addictive medications possess baseline knowledge in evidence-based addiction prevention and treatments. This ensures that all DEA-controlled medication prescribers have a baseline knowledge of how to prevent addiction and how to identify, treat, and manage patients who have substance use disorders.

Specifically, the MATE Act requires all prescribers of federally controlled substances to complete eight (8) hours of training on treating and managing patients with opioid use disorder (OUD) and substance use disorder (SUD). This requirement begins on the date of your next scheduled DEA registration submission – regardless of whether it is an initial registration or a renewal registration – on or after June 27, 2023.

For questions or more information, contact Will Schmeeckle, Project Coordinator at NMA at wills@nebmed.org.

MATE Trainings & Recordings

Intersection of Pain and Substance Use Disorders & Mental Health
2.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™
Evaluation to claim CME		 Released 5/12/23
View Recording
Stigma and the Neurobiological Components of Addiction (1st hour)
Screening Patients for Substance Use Disorders (2nd hour)
2.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™
Evaluation to claim CME		 Released 5/19/23
View Recording
Strategies to Address Patients with Co-Morbid Conditions of Pain, Mental Illness, and Substance Use Disorders
2.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™
Evaluation to claim CME		 Released 5/26/23
View Recording
Safe Prescribing and PDMP (1st hour)
Physician Health (2nd hour)
2.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™
Evaluation to claim CME		 Released 6/2/23
View Recording

Policies and standards of the Nebraska Medical Education Trust require that speakers and planners for continuing medical education activities disclose any relevant financial relationships they may have with commercial interests whose products, devices or services may be discussed in the content of a CME activity. The speaker and planning committee have no relevant financial relationships to disclose.

The Nebraska Medical Education Trust designates each live activity for a maximum of 2.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

The Nebraska Medical Education Trust is accredited by the Nebraska Medical Association to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Removal of DATA Waiver (X-Waiver) Requirement
Section 1262 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (also known as Omnibus bill), removes the federal requirement for practitioners to submit a Notice of Intent (have a waiver) to prescribe medications, like buprenorphine, for the treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD). With this provision, and effective immediately, SAMHSA will no longer be accepting NOIs (waiver applications).

All practitioners who have a current DEA registration that includes Schedule III authority, may now prescribe buprenorphine for Opioid Use Disorder in their practice if permitted by applicable state law and SAMHSA encourages them to do so. SAMHSA and DEA are actively working on implementation of a separate provision of the Omnibus related to training requirements for DEA registration that becomes effective in June 2023. Please continue to check this webpage for further updates and guidance. Additional information can be found at https://www.samhsa.gov/medications-substance-use-disorders/removal-data-waiver-requirement.

What does this mean for providers?
This means that the special waiver (e.g., a DATA-Waiver) is no longer required to treat patients with opioid use disorder (OUD). Additionally, the DATA-Waiver registration number is no longer required on opioid use disorder prescriptions. Opioid use disorder prescriptions, like all prescriptions, now only require a standard DEA registration number.

  • Those prescribers currently registered with the DEA as a DATA-Waived prescriber should have received, or will be receiving, an updated DEA registration certificate to reflect the elimination of the DATA-Waiver registration number. No action is necessary on the registrant’s part.
  • It should be noted that state laws applicable to this issue may still be in effect. Registrants should take note of their state’s requirements because they may differ from federal law.

SAMHSA Website

Questions for SAMHSA? Contact infobuprenorphine@samhsa.hhs.gov

Please see the letter sent to DEA registered practitioners here which outlines the requirements for training for Medication Assisted Treatment as part of the MATE Act, which was part of the Omnibus Bill at the end of December 2022. DEA was given 90 days to let practitioners know how to meet the MATE Act’s training requirement which is tied to their initial or renewal DEA registration beginning on June 27, 2023. This letter provides the information to the practitioners as to how they can meet those training requirements.

DEA – Diversion Control Division Website
Apply for or Renew Your Registration

Questions for the DEA? Contact ODLP@dea.gov

Training is being provided in partnership with the Nebraska Department of Health & Human Services
This project is funded in part from the State Opioid Response Grant #H79TI085774 from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Center for Substance Abuse Treatment subgranted through the Nebraska Department of Health and Services, Division of Behavioral Health.