Substance Use Health Competencies for All Prescribers

Guidelines
by
Hernandez-Basurto, M. A., Bate, E., & Taha, S. (Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction)

Release Date

2024

Geography

Canada

Language of Resource

English

Full Text Available

Yes

Open Access / OK to Reproduce

No

Peer Reviewed

No

Objective

The scope of the Publicly Available Specification (PAS) focuses on health-care providers who are able to prescribe medications in Canada with specific emphasis on prescribers who do not consider themselves experts in substance use health. This PAS outlines the skills a prescriber can utilize to improve substance use health care.

Findings/Key points

When used together, these behavioural and technical competencies will help providers meaningfully respond to the needs of people who use substances. Technical competencies were only included for those substances where there is currently a sufficient body of evidence to recommend best practices for medical management (alcohol and opioids).

Design/methods

This PAS was developed through gathering and synthesizing various forms of evidence. This included literature reviews and consultations with experts with diverse expertise. An eight-member Steering Group comprised of three people with lived or living experience and five prescribers with expertise in addiction medicine also informed this PAS.

Keywords

About prescribers
Alcohol
Barriers and enablers
Clinical guidance
Hospitals
Peer/PWLLE program involvement
Stigma
Substitution/OAT
Withdrawal