A new law will ease the burden of federal training and education requirements for doctors of optometry and expand access to and treatment of opioid use disorders—and specifically recognizes the American Optometric Association (AOA).
The Support for Patients and Providers Act was signed into law on Dec. 1 and incorporates language sought by the AOA to address a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) compliance issue created by an earlier law requiring specific training for prescribers of controlled substances. Under the previous rules, some state-developed courses do not meet federal standards, meaning certain practitioners could have been forced to complete two separate trainings to satisfy both state and federal mandates. Under the new measure, the AOA is authorized to certify those state courses, preventing duplicative requirements and reducing the burden on AOA members.
“This legislative win is a meaningful step forward for patient care and for the doctors of optometry who serve communities every day,” says AOA President Jacquie M. Bowen, OD. “By explicitly recognizing the AOA as a trusted provider of opioid-related education, lawmakers have strengthened our ability to equip doctors with high-quality clinical education that supports responsible prescribing and better health outcomes nationwide.”
EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS
Currently, doctors can access the Providers Clinical Support System “Substance Use Disorder 101 Core Curriculum,” comprised of 23 modules that can be used for doctors to meet the eight-hour DEA education and training requirement. Developed by the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry, the curriculum provides an overview of evidence-based practices in the prevention, identification and treatment of substance use disorders and co-occuring medical and psychiatric conditions. Each stand-alone module is available at no cost; registration is required to access these modules. When asked to identify your profession, select “other” and indicate optometry.
The AOA is actively developing an optometry-specific course that will be offered in the AOA EyeLearn Professional Development Hub in the coming months, and an in-person education opportunity will be available at Optometry’s Meeting® 2026, June 17-20, in Phoenix.
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