Cooperative Agreement for a Physician Clinical Support System for the Appropriate Use of Methadone in the Treatment of Pain and Opioid Addiction

The summary for the Cooperative Agreement for a Physician Clinical Support System for the Appropriate Use of Methadone in the Treatment of Pain and Opioid Addiction grant is detailed below. This summary states who is eligible for the grant, how much grant money will be awarded, current and past deadlines, Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) numbers, and a sampling of similar government grants. Verify the accuracy of the data FederalGrants.com provides by visiting the webpage noted in the Link to Full Announcement section or by contacting the appropriate person listed as the Grant Announcement Contact. If any section is incomplete, please visit the website for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services, which is the U.S. government agency offering this grant.

Cooperative Agreement for a Physician Clinical Support System for the Appropriate Use of Methadone in the Treatment of Pain and Opioid Addiction: The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Substance Abuse Treatment is announcing the availability of FY 2008 funds for a single source award to the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) for the Physician Clinical Support System for the Appropriate Use of Methadone in the Treatment of Pain and Opioid Addiction (PCSS-M) Cooperative Agreement. The purpose of this project is to establish a national mentoring network offering support (clinical updates, evidence-based outcomes and training) free of charge to physicians and other medical professionals in the appropriate use of methadone for the treatment of chronic pain and opioid addiction. SAMHSA is responsible for certifying over 1,000 Opioid Treatment Programs (OTPs) that use methadone and buprenorphine in the treatment of opioid addiction. This initiative will help address the nations rise in methadone-associated deaths that has been spurred by misuse/abuse and fatal drug interactions involving methadone. The mission of the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) is to educate physicians/other medical professionals and promote the appropriate role of the physician and other medical professionals in the care of patients with addiction. ASAM has developed and disseminated course materials addressing pain and addiction and presently provides training on the use of methadone in SAMHSA certified OTPs throughout the country. Thus, ASAM continues to provide critical support that is vital to the safety of patients receiving methadone-based therapies involving addiction and chronic pain. SAMHSA presently collaborates with the CDC, DEA, NIDA, and FDA, as well as with State agencies most directly affected by rising methadone mortalities. The collaborative trainings of these agencies, coupled with an increase in requests for consultation and assistance from State authorities and practitioners in the field, has created a need for SAMHSA to evaluate and address the causes of the increase in fatalities and non-medical use of methadone. While the data strongly suggest that most of the increase in methadone-associated deaths is related to the rapid increase in the prescription of methadone for treatment of chronic pain, there is a widespread public perception that diversion of methadone from OTPs and OTP clients, and inappropriate client care in some OTPs, are major reasons for the rise of methadone related mortality. This perception not only damages attitudes toward methadone maintenance treatment, which has been demonstrated scientifically in numerous studies to be the most effective treatment for opioid addiction, but also undermines public support for treatment generally. Therefore, SAMHSA has a strong interest and responsibility to help ensure that methadone, whether prescribed for pain management or dispensed for the treatment of opioid dependence, is being used appropriately by physicians who have been trained in the latest evidence-based practices. The target population for this initiative includes physicians and other health professionals working in SAMHSA certified OTPs and physicians prescribing methadone for pain. The training and clinical support provided under this initiative will address the specific complexities that are inherent to the medication itself and how those characteristics affect appropriate care of individuals being treated for pain and opioid dependence. SAMHSA has convened two expert panels in response to the increase in methadone-associated deaths (the reports are available at www.dpt.samhsa.gov. Panel results show that medical education is critical and warranted to reduce methadone-associated deaths. Also, addictions and pain medicine specialists will be encouraged to participate in the project to serve as mentors for physicians and other medical professionals desiring to treat patients for opioid dependency and chronic pain with methadone products. The PCSS-M program is authorized under Section 509 of the Public Health Service Act, as amended. This announcement addresses Healthy People 2010 focus area 26 (Substance Abuse).