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American Dental Education Association


Volume 3, No. 2, June 7, 2023

New One-time DEA Training Requirement for All Prescribers
 
On Dec. 29, 2022, Section 1263 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 [ [link removed] ] enacted a new one-time, eight-hour training requirement for all Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)-registered practitioners on the treatment and management of patients with opioid or other substance-use disorders.
 
The DEA recently released guidance [ [link removed] ] on the new one-time training requirement. To comply with this new requirement, all prescribers must attest to meeting the training requirement by checking a box on their DEA registration form. This applies to initial registrations and renewals, meaning this applies to both currently graduating students and all other prescribers. The new training requirement goes into effect on June 27, 2023.
 
The guidance allows dental schools to certify that their currently graduating students and former students who graduated within five years of June 27, 2023, meet the required eight-hour training requirement. The types of classes that meet the training requirement are as follows:
 • The class(es) must total at least eight hours of training. One class or a combination of classes can be used to satisfy the eight-hour training requirement; AND
 • The class subject matter must be on:
    ◦ Treating and managing patients with opioid or other substance use disorders, including the appropriate clinical use of all drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of a substance use disorder; OR
    ◦ Safe pharmacological management of dental pain and screening, brief intervention and referral for appropriate treatment of patients with or at risk of developing opioid and other substance use disorders.


Note that the DEA has given dental schools significant flexibility in choosing which classes meet the above referenced training requirements. Classes already required for graduation will likely meet one of the above referenced requirements.
 
The guidance also provides a range of ways that current DEA licensed dentists can satisfy the eight-hour training requirement. They can satisfy the training requirement by participating in a class on the treatment and management of patients with opioid or other substance use disorders given by one of the accredited groups listed on page 2 of the guidance [ [link removed] ] . The guidance also lists the following points related to practitioner training:
 1. The training does not have to occur in one session. It can be cumulative across multiple sessions that equal eight hours of training.
 2. Past trainings on the treatment and management of patients with opioid or other substance use disorders can count towards a practitioner meeting this requirement. In other words, if you received a relevant training from one of the groups listed on page 2 of the guidance [ [link removed] ] — prior to the enactment of the new training requirement on Dec. 29, 2022—that training counts towards the eight-hour requirement.
 3. Past DATA-Waived trainings count towards a DEA registrant’s eight-hour training requirement.
 4. Trainings can occur in a variety of formats, including classroom settings, seminars at professional society meetings or virtual offerings.

Finally, though the DEA is only requiring attestation via checking a box on the DEA registration form, it is advised by both the American Dental Association (ADA) and ADEA that all registrants maintain a copy of either the certification received from their dental school or their certificate of completion from the course(s) used to satisfy the eight-hour training requirement.
 
Any questions regarding the guidance, should be addressed to the DEA’s Diversion Control Division Policy Section at (571) 362-3260. This number can also be found in the guidance. Additionally, ADA has released an extensive FAQ [ [link removed] ] that is very helpful as well.

Florida Governor Signs Create Veterans Dental Care Program
 
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signed legislation [ [link removed] ] that will create increase access to dental care for veterans in the state. The Veterans Dental Care Grant Program would require the state’s Department of Veterans’ Affairs to contract with a statewide direct support organization to distribute grants to eligible nonprofits that have experience in providing dental care to veterans.
 
In 2022, Oregon [ [link removed] ] implemented a dental program for veterans, and the Maine Veterans Dental Network [ [link removed] ] has been in operation in partnership with Northeast Delta Dental since 2021.

Texas Wraps Up Legislative Session; Sends Multiple Bills That Will Impact Higher Education and Dentistry to Governor
 
The Texas Legislature has adjourned its 2023 regular session, but before wrapping up, the legislature voted to send multiple bills to Gov. Greg Abbott (R) that will have an impact on higher education and dentistry in the state:
 • SB 17 [ [link removed] ] would prohibit an institution of higher education from establishing or maintaining an Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) or hiring or assigning an employee of the institution, or contract with a third party, to perform the duties of a DEI office. The bill also prohibits an institution from compelling, requiring, inducing or soliciting any person to provide a DEI statement or give preferential consideration to any person based on the provision of a DEI statement. Additionally, the bill also prohibits requiring any person at the institution to participate in a training on diversity, equity, inclusion, bias, oppression or gender identity.
 • SB 18 [ [link removed] ] changes the state’s tenure laws. Under the bill, only a public institution of higher education’s governing board on the recommendation of the institution’s chief executive officer and the university system’s chancellor, if applicable, may grant tenure. Governing boards of each institution would also be required to adopt policies that would guide performance evaluations of tenured professors. Under a previous version of the bill [ [link removed] ] , institutions would have been prohibited from granting tenure to anyone who had not already obtained it, but the bill was amended in before final passage.
 • HB 3824 [ [link removed] ] would allow dental hygienists to administer local anesthetics under direct supervision to patients over the age of 18. The bill also establishes training requirements a dental hygienist must meet before being permitted to administer a local anesthetic and prohibits dental hygienists from administering them if a patient is under sedation, unless sedated using only nitrous oxide-oxygen inhalation.
 • HB 1527 [ [link removed] ] would limit the circumstances for overpayment recovery by dental insurers and establish clear requirements for third-party access to provider networks. The bill would also prohibit insurers from disallowing a service, resulting in denial of payment to a dentist for a service that ordinarily would be covered. It also prohibits dentists from billing patients for that service if there is a dental necessity as defined by statute.

Maine Legislature Votes to Make Allied Professionals Eligible for Loan Repayment Program
 
The Maine Legislature will send a bill [ [link removed] ] to Gov. Janet Mills (D) that will make dental hygienists, dental therapists, expanded function dental assistants and dental assistants eligible for the Maine Dental Education Loan Repayment Program [ [link removed] ] . If signed into law, the program will grant up to six loans for eligible allied professionals. Loan recipients can have their loans repaid up to $25,000 annually and $100,000 cumulatively if they work in an underserved area.
 
For more information about student loan forgiveness programs for oral health professionals in other states, please refer to ADEA’s list of State and Federal Loan Forgiveness Programs [ [link removed] ] .

ADEA Advocacy in Action
This appears weekly in the ADEA Advocate to summarize and provide direct links to recent advocacy actions taken by ADEA. Please let us know what you think and how we might improve its usefulness.
 
Issues and Resources
 • ADEA report [ [link removed] ] on teledentistry
 • ADEA report [ [link removed] ] on the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on U.S. Dental Schools
 • ADEA policy brief [ [link removed] ] regarding overprescription of antibiotics
 • For a full list of ADEA memos, briefs and letters click here [ [link removed] ] .

Key Federal Issues [ [link removed] ]

ADEA U.S. Interactive Legislative and Regulatory Tracking Map [ [link removed] ]

Key State Issues [ [link removed] ]

The ADEA Advocate [ [link removed] ] is published weekly. Its purpose is to keep ADEA members abreast of federal and state issues and events of interest to the academic dentistry and the dental and research communities.
 
©2023
American Dental Education Association
655 K Street, NW, Suite 800
Washington, DC 20001
Tel: 202-289-7201
Website: www.adea.org [ [link removed] ]

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B. Timothy Leeth, CPA
ADEA Chief Advocacy Officer
 
Bridgette DeHart, J.D.
ADEA Director of Federal Relations and Advocacy
 
Phillip Mauller, M.P.S.
ADEA Director of State Relations and Advocacy
 
Brian Robinson
ADEA Program Manager for Advocacy and Government Relations
 
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