Healthcare professionals who can prescribe medications, such as family physicians and nurse practitioners, are often a first point of contact for people with substance use health concerns. These healthcare workers are well positioned to provide support, even if they don’t have specialized training in addiction medicine.
As part of a broader Mental Health and Substance Use Health Standardization initiative funded by Health Canada, the Standards Council of Canada contracted CCSA to develop the Publicly Available Specification (PAS). It is one of six mental health and substance use health priority topics that will result in integrated standards-based deliverables of national scope.
The PAS Substance Use Health Competencies for All Prescribers outlines the knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviours needed to deliver evidence-based, compassionate, empathic care that promotes the dignity of each individual. This PAS will help address numerous workforce challenges, such as standardizing clinical practice and interpersonal approaches, ensuring evidence-informed care and increasing the base of providers who readily see substance use health in their practice.
The technical competencies focus on six key practice areas including:
- Understanding substance use health,
- Screening and assessment,
- Pharmacotherapy for opioid use disorder,
- Pharmacotherapy for alcohol use disorder,
- Psychosocial interventions, and
- Referrals.
They are aligned with current best practices and were informed by technical experts and clinicians practising in the field.
The behavioural competencies outline the qualities necessary to foster safe, trusting and healing environments, including humanizing care and practising empathy, compassion, humility and self-reflection.