The Medication Access and Training Expansion Act (MATE Act), part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, was passed by Congress in December 2022. MATE requires most prescribers of controlled substances in schedules II, III, IV and V to have at least eight hours of training prior to their “first applicable registration.” The DEA issued a letter outlining the required training, which goes into effect on June 27, 2023.
Beginning on that date, providers must check a box on their DEA registration application or renewal form indicating they have satisfied this training requirement. Here are some facts about the new requirement:
- This is a one-time, eight-hour training requirement for all DEA-registered practitioners on the treatment and management of patients with opioid or other substance use disorders.
- The deadline for satisfying this new training requirement is the date of a practitioner’s next scheduled DEA registration submission – regardless of whether it is an initial registration or a renewal registration – on or after June 27, 2023.
- Providers who graduated within five years of June 27, 2023 and “successfully completed a curriculum that included at least eight hours of training on treating and managing patients with opioid or other substance use disorders, including the appropriate clinical use of all drugs approved by the FDA for the treatment of a substance use disorder” are deemed to have satisfied this training.
- Several accredited groups may provide training to meet this requirement. These groups are outlined in the DEA’s training requirement letter.
This requirement will impact most allergists, NPs and PAs in practice – technically all qualified practitioners who are licensed and authorized by a state to prescribe controlled substances. Plan for your practice to meet this requirement before provider DEA renewal deadlines.
