BIDDEFORD, Maine — The federal government's supporting an effort by Maine's only medical school to train medical students to treat opioid use disorders.
The U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's providing the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine with a $450,000 three-year grant to help with the effort. The university says medical students will learn to use federally-approved medications along with counseling and behavioral therapies.
University of New England's inter-professional education coordinator, Jenifer Van Deusen, says there are an estimated 2.5 million people in need of treatment for opioid use disorder in the country. She says the U.S. needs more medical providers who are trained and willing to provide care to address the problem.
The effort will also involve updating the school's medical and physician assistant curriculum.
