Module 5: Sedative, Benzodiazepine, and Hypnotic Use Disorders

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Agenda

CE Credit Available For

Physicians: (AMA)
Nurses: (ANCC )
Pharmacists: (ACPE)
Physician Assistants (AAPA)
Psychologists (APA)
Social Workers (ASWB)
Dentists (ADA)
Interprofessional Continuing Education Credit (IPCE)

Note: All other learners will receive a Certificate of Completion.

Module Overview

This module offers an in-depth exploration of the clinical, neurobiological, and psychosocial dimensions of opioid use disorder. Beginning with history, definitions, and diagnostic frameworks, it progresses through evidence-based pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic treatment strategies, population-specific considerations, and long-term recovery planning. Emphasis is placed on individualized, patient-centered care, the integration of harm reduction, and multidisciplinary collaboration to optimize outcomes for people with OUD across diverse settings and stages of recovery.

Global Learning Objectives

At the conclusion of this course, learners will be able to:

Describe core principles of compassionate, patient-centered addiction care, including the practical application of harm reduction strategies in clinical settings.
Explain key neurobiological mechanisms of substance use disorders and relate these mechanisms to patient behavior, relapse risk, and recovery trajectories.
Select and use basic motivational interviewing techniques and validated screening tools to identify substance use disorders and inform initial clinical decision-making.
Identify and initiate evidence-based pharmacologic and behavioral treatment options for substance use disorders, consistent with the learner’s professional scope of practice.
Demonstrate an understanding of whole-person, team-based care by integrating healthcare, behavioral health, social services, and legal considerations into treatment planning.
Apply practical, recovery-oriented strategies to respond to crises, relapse, and common real-world barriers encountered in early addiction treatment settings.

Module 5 Learning Objectives

At the conclusion of this module, learners will be able to:

Upon completion of this activity, participants will be able to:

Differentiate sedative, benzodiazepine, hypnotic, and related anxiolytic agents by mechanism of action, pharmacokinetic properties (half-life, potency, active metabolites), and clinical indications, and explain how these characteristics influence misuse risk, tolerance, and withdrawal severity.
Describe current epidemiologic patterns and trends in sedative and benzodiazepine use, misuse, and overdose, including demographic risk factors, prescribing trends, and the impact of polysubstance use (particularly opioid and alcohol co-use) on morbidity and mortality.
Apply DSM-5 criteria to identify and diagnose Sedative, Hypnotic, or Anxiolytic Use Disorder, distinguishing physiologic dependence from a substance use disorder through clinical history, functional impairment, and behavioral patterns.
Recognize and evaluate clinical presentations of sedative intoxication, withdrawal, and protracted withdrawal, and construct an appropriate differential diagnosis that accounts for medical, psychiatric, neurologic, and polysubstance-related conditions.
Assess and stratify patient risk for complicated benzodiazepine withdrawal using dose, duration, agent characteristics, comorbidities, and prior withdrawal history, and determine appropriate level of care (outpatient vs. inpatient) and monitoring strategies.
Integrate evidence-based pharmacologic, psychosocial, and harm-reduction interventions into individualized treatment plans for sedative use disorder, including tapering strategies, management of co-occurring psychiatric conditions, interpretation of urine toxicology, overdose prevention, and patient-centered counseling.

Jeremy Dubin DO

Chief Medical Education Officer
Porch Light Health

Michelle Gomez, PA

Provider
Porch Light Health

Tracy Walls, PA

Provider
Porch Light Health

Randy Fox, RN

Randy.fox@indivior.com
rfox88@hotmail.com

Karlie Straight, PA

Medical Lead, Infectious Disease Lead, Safety Lead
Porch Light Health

Carmen Pack, MA

Director of Medical Services
Porch Light health
cpack@plhealth.com

Steve Carleton, MSW

Chief Clinical Officer
Porch Light Health

Ken Davis, PA

Provider
Porch light Health

Katie Fiske, MSW

Counselor
Porch Light Health

Dayna DeHerrera-Smith, MPH

Director of Community Engagement and Development
Porch Light Health

Colleen Weissmann, MD

Medical Director, AMSWS Lead, Lead Liaison, MA Lead
Porch Light Health

Craig Heacock, MD - Contributor

Bernie Birnbaum, MD
UCHealth

Lesley Brooks, MD

Chief of Addiction Medicine
Summit Stone Health

Mark Benn, Psy.D

Provider
Porch light Health

Target Audience

Designed for providers who are relatively new to the field of addiction medicine, such as primary care physicians, clinicians, pharmacists, pharmacist technicians, dentists, nurse practitioners, nurses, physician assistants, psychologists, social workers, behavioral health specialists, and healthcare personnel who see patients at risk for, or with, addiction.

Financial Support

There is no commercial support associated with this educational activity.

Credit Information

In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by Porch Light Health and CME Outfitters, LLC. CME Outfitters LLC is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

Physicians (ACCME)

✓ 2.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™

CME Outfitters, LLC, designates this enduring material for a maximum of 2.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)^TM. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Nurses (ANCC)

✓ 2.25 Contact Hours

This activity is designated for 2.25 contact hours.

Note to Nurse Practitioners

Nurse practitioners can apply for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit^TM through the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP). AANP will accept AMA PRA Category 1 Credit^TM from Jointly Accredited Organizations. Nurse practitioners can also apply for credit through their state boards.

Pharmacists (ACPE)

✓ 2.25 Contact Hours (0.025 CEUs)

This knowledge-based activity is approved for 2.25 contact hours (0.225 CEUs) of continuing pharmacy credit.

Physician Assistants (AAPA)

✓ 2.25 Contact Hours (0.0225 CEUs)

CME Outfitters, LLC, has been authorized by the American Academy of PAs (AAPA) to award AAPA Category 1 CME credit for activities planned in accordance with AAPA CME Criteria. This activity is designated for 2.25 AAPA Category 1 CME credits. Approval is valid until February 12, 2028. PAs should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation.

Psychologists (APA)

Continuing Education (CE) credits for psychologists are provided through the co-sponsorship of the American Psychological Association (APA) Office of Continuing Education in Psychology (CEP). The APA CEP Office maintains responsibly for the content of the programs.

Social Workers (ASWB)

✓ 2.25 General CE Credits

As a Jointly Accredited Organization, CME Outfitters, LLC is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved under this program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. Social workers completing this course receive 2.25 general continuing education credits.

Dental Professionals (ADA CERP)

✓ 2.25 CE Credits

CME Outfitters, LLC is an ADA CERP Recognized Provider. ADA CERP is a service of the American Dental Association to assist dental professionals in identifying quality providers of continuing dental education. ADA CERP does not approve or endorse individual courses or instructors, nor does it imply acceptance of credit hours by boards of dentistry. Concerns or complaints about a CE provider may be directed to the provider or to the Commission for Continuing Education Provider Recognition at ADA.org/CERP.

CME Outfitters, LLC designates this activity for 2.25 continuing education credits.

Concerns or complaints about a CE provider may be directed to the provider, or to the Commission for Continuing Education Provider Recognition at ADA.org/CERP.

Interprofessional CE (IPCE)

✓ 2.25 IPCE Credits

This activity was planned by and for the healthcare team, and learners will receive 2.25 Interprofessional Continuing Education Credit for learning and change.

Disclosure Declaration

It is the policy of CME Outfitters, LLC, to ensure independence, balance, objectivity, scientific rigor and integrity in all of their CME/CE activities. Faculty must disclose to the participants any relationships with commercial companies whose products or devices may be mentioned in faculty presentations, or with the commercial supporter of this CME/CE activity. CME Outfitters, LLC, has evaluated, identified, and attempted to resolve any potential conflicts of interest through a rigorous content validation procedure, use of evidence-based data/research, and a multidisciplinary peer review process. Relevant financial relationships exist between the following individuals and commercial interests:

Faculty Disclosures

First Name	Last Name	Disclosures
Jeremy	Dubin DO	Nothing to disclose
Kathleen	Crislip, FNP	Nothing to disclose
Jennifer	Musgrave, PA	Nothing to disclose

Planning Committee Disclosures

First Name	Last Name	Disclosures
Carmen	Pack, MA	Nothing to disclose
Colleen	Weissmann, MD	Nothing to disclose
Dayna	DeHerrera-Smith, MPH	Nothing to disclose
Elizabeth	Dengler	Nothing to disclose
Jeremy	Dubin DO	Nothing to disclose
John	Hutchinson, PharmD	Nothing to disclose
Josh	Hammond, MD	Nothing to disclose
Karissa	Gayosso, NP	Nothing to disclose
Karlie	Straight, PA	Nothing to disclose
Kathleen	Crislip, FNP	Nothing to disclose
Ken	Davis, PA	Discloses Stock Shareholder (directly purchased): Own shares of Lilly
Mark	Benn, Psy.D	Nothing to disclose
Megan	Foutch, MSW	Nothing to disclose
Melissa	Lowe, FNP	Nothing to disclose
Randy	Fox, RN	Nothing to disclose
Steve	Carleton, MSW, CAC	Nothing to disclose
Candice	Gillett, MPH	Nothing to disclose

Content Reviewer Disclosures

Scott J Hershman, MD, FACEHP, CHCP has nothing to disclose. *All relevant financial relationships have been mitigated.

Unlabeled Use Disclosure

Faculty of this CME/CE activity may include discussions of products or devices that are not currently labeled for use by the FDA. The faculty have been informed of their responsibility to disclose to the audience if they will be discussing off-label or investigational uses (any uses not approved by the FDA) of products or devices. CME Outfitters, LLC, the faculty, and Porch Light Health do not endorse the use of any product outside of the FDA labeled indications. Medical professionals should not utilize the procedures, products, or diagnosis techniques discussed during this activity without evaluation of their patient for contraindications or dangers of use.

CMEO Credit Claiming Process

At the end of the course, you will be provided with the activity evaluation link and print your certificate/statement of credit.

Credit request forms, and activity evaluations must be completed online (requires free account activation), and participants can print their certificate or statement of credit immediately. This website supports all browsers except Internet Explorer for Mac. For complete technical requirements and privacy policy, visit https://www.cmeoutfitters.com/privacy-and-confidentiality-policy

Questions about this activity?

Please contact: plhu@plhealth.com

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Strengthen your expertise in addiction medicine foundations and patient-centered care while earning continuing education credit.

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