The current VIN date & time: Eastern

Opioid 411 (2 CE Hours) (DRIP002) Self Study

This course is a self-paced, non-interactive course.

Presenter: Bree Montana, DVM, CCFP
Philip J. Seibert, Jr., CVT
Rachael Carpenter, DVM
Lance M. Roasa, DVM, JD
Course Open: March 24, 2023-April 30, 2025
Total CE Credit: 2
RACE Category: 1 hour Medical, 1 hour Non-Medical


Enroll Now  

Tuition: VIN Member $46
Prices are listed in US dollars.


Course Information:
This course has been designed to fulfill the continuing education requirements for all states that have mandated CE on the topic of controlled substances. It provides students with a broad range of expert level knowledge on subjects including federal controlled substance laws, best practices for prescribing and management of controlled substances including benzodiazepine and opioid medications, use of electronic PDMPs, dispensing controlled substances, recognition of substance abuse, signs of opioid abuse, addiction and diversion, opioid use and dependency in office staff, clients and co-workers, use, misuse, documentation, safeguarding and monitoring controlled substances, controlled substance diversion, inventory and security, treatment of chronic pain, and controlled substance prescribing for chronic pain management.

It is designed to fulfill the continuing education requirements for all states that have mandated 2 CE hours on Controlled Drugs, which include: Indiana, Maryland, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas.

Does your state require 1 hour CE? See: Opioid 411 (1 CE Hour) (DRIP001) Self-Study

Does your state require 3 hours CE? See: Opioid 411 (3 CE Hours) (DRIP003) Self-Study

If you are unsure if your state requires continuing education on this topic, click here for more information.

To earn a certificate of completion the participant must complete all learning modules and score 80% or better on the end-of-course test. Completion of the course will take a minimum of 128 minutes. Participants must complete the participation requirements by April 30, 2025 to be eligible for a certificate.

To learn more about the requirements for earning a Self Study CE certificate, please refer to Self Study CE Certificate Requirements.


Learning Objectives:
Upon completion of the course, the participant should be able to
  • Introduce the topic, review statistics & discuss federal controlled substance laws.
  • Review best practices for prescribing controlled substances, including benzodiazepine and opioid medications.
  • Discuss dispensing of controlled substances.
  • Review use of state electronic PDMP systems.
  • Review how to recognize substance abuse.
  • Discuss the signs of opioid abuse and addiction.
  • Review opioid use & dependency in office staff, clients and co-workers.
  • Review the management of controlled substances, including benzodiazepine and opioid medications.
  • Review the use, misuse, documentation & safeguarding of controlled substances
  • Discuss monitoring controlled substances
  • Review controlled substance diversion inventory & security
  • Discuss the signs of opioid diversion.
  • Review the treatment of chronic pain
  • Discuss alternatives to controlled substance prescribing for chronic pain management


Level and Prerequisites: This basic VIN CE Self Study course is open for enrollment to Veterinarians interested in opioid prescribing. This course is open to VIN members only.
Credit Approval: This non-interactive course is approved for 2 hours of continuing education credit by RACE for veterinarians. (RACE 20-973628)


Course Agenda:

Module 1: Opioid 411 Hour 1
Total Time: 62 minutes
Video: 62 minutes
Description: This module will review prescribing and management of controlled substances, identifying possible addiction and abuse, as well as treatments of chronic pain.

Module 2: Opioid 411 Hour 2
Total Time: 61 minutes
Video: 61 minutes
Description: This module will work through best practices, such as documentation, safeguarding and inventory, along with looking at alternatives to controlled substances for chronic pain.

Module 3: End of Course Test
Total Time: 5 minutes
Successful completion (scoring 80% or better) on the end-of-course test is required to earn a certificate of completion for the course.

Module 4: Course Evaluation

To learn more about the requirements for earning a Self Study CE certificate, please refer to Self Study CE Certificate Requirements.


Enroll Now  

Tuition: VIN Member $46
Prices are listed in US dollars.


*For more information on how online CE works, see the Participant Resource Center.

Enrollment qualifications for Self Study CE:
  1. VIN CE Courses:
    1. VIN CE courses are open to VIN members.
    2. Veterinary support staff must be VSPN members in order to enroll in a VIN CE course open to VSPN member enrollment.
  2. VSPN CE Courses:
    1. VSPN CE courses are open to veterinary support staff and veterinarians.
    2. Only VIN and VSPN members can enroll in a VSPN CE course.
    3. Veterinarians will only receive credit for those VSPN CE courses that specify in the Accreditation statement that the course is accredited for veterinarians.
  3. Please check the course Level and Prerequisites, Accreditation, and Tuition before enrolling.
  4. Each enrollee must be able to receive emails from @vspn.org and @vin.com addresses.
    1. Email is our major form of communication with participants; personal emails are highly recommended rather than clinic/hospital email addresses.
  5. For further assistance call 800-846-0028 ext. 797 or email CEonVIN@vin.com. Please include the course title, your full name, and contact information in your correspondence.


Course withdrawal and refund policy: A complete refund of the paid course price will be issued when your withdrawal request is received prior to starting the course. If you wish to withdraw after you have started this self-study course, please contact the VSPN office 800-846-0028, ext. 797 to discuss eligibility for a pro-rated refund.

*For more information on VIN's upcoming CE courses, check the VIN Course Catalog.

Katherine James, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (SAIM)
VIN Education Director

VIN CE Services:
800-846-0028 or 530-756-4881; ext. 797
or direct line to VIN/VSPN from the United Kingdom: 01 45 222 6154
or direct line to VIN/VSPN from Australia: 02 6145 2357