Enacted in 2017 and updated in 2024 the Rule Governing the Prescribing of Opioids for Pain provides legal requirements for the appropriate use of opioids in treating pain in order to minimize opportunities for misuse and diversion and optimize prevention of addiction and overdose.
Know OD provides harm-reduction information for people who use opioids about preventing and reversing overdose. healthvermont.gov/KnowOD
Naloxone – known by the trade name Narcan® – is a medication that can easily reverse an overdose when administered as quickly as possible after an overdose. Vermont Law (18 VSA ß 4240 (c)) allows health care professionals to distribute an opioid antagonist to a person who is at risk of overdose – or to a family member, friend or other person in a position to help. Learn more about naloxone
VT Helplink alcohol and drug support center provides information, support and referrals for substance use treatment, recovery and harm-reduction services in Vermont. Find where you can get Narcan® and other overdose prevention resources. VTHelplink.org
Medication for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) (formerly known as Mediation Assisted Treatment or MAT) is the use of medications, in combination with counseling and behavioral therapies, to provide a whole-patient approach to the treatment of opioid use disorder.
Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) 101 - An introduction to Medication Assisted Treatment (September 2021)
| MOUD Resources | |
|---|---|
| MAT Rules: Medication Assisted Therapy for Opioid Dependence | Any buprenorphine or methadone prescriber is responsible for complying with these rules. |
| Provider Clinical Support System | Resources for health professionals, patients and community. Includes consent documents as referenced in the MAT rule. |
| Opioid Treatment Screening Guidelines for Hubs | The primary goal of MOUD is to improve overall patient wellness. It is recommended that a comprehensive screening for drugs misuse be completed upon entering opioid treatment programs. |
| MAT for Opioid Addiction: Fact Sheet | MAT fact sheet including assessing the evidence, dosage and treatment limits, MAT and pregnancy and risks. |
| MAT Guidelines for Women who are Pregnant | Recommendations for providers on the management of opioid dependence during pregnancy. |
*DISCLAIMER: The links to morphine milligram equivalent calculators are placed here for the convenience of prescribers, dispensers, and patients. The State of Vermont did not design and does not maintain these calculators nor make any representation as to their accuracy. Relevant rules do not require the use of these, or any other, calculator. It is the responsibility of the prescriber to confirm calculations and to adhere to the limits imposed by any relevant rule or law and to exercise clinical judgement consistent with the standard of care
The Vermont Prescription Monitoring System (VPMS) is a database of controlled substance prescriptions dispensed by Vermont licensed pharmacies that helps prescribers and pharmacists make better evidence-based clinical decisions and limit diversion. Learn more and access VPMS
Vermont Department of Health
280 State Drive
Waterbury, VT 05671-8340
802-651-1550
ahs.vdhdsu@vermont.gov
