The MATE Improvement Act (Medicat ion Access and Training Expansion Improvement Act) seeks to clarify and broaden the training requirements for prescribers of controlled substances under the Controlled Substances Act. By adjusting the list of organizations that can provide required prescriber training, the bill aims to standardize and expand access to credible training across medical fields, including medicine, podiatry, dentistry, optometry, nursing, and pharmacy. The changes are designed to ensure prescribers receive consistent education on safe prescribing, risk management, and related topics. A notable feature is the retroactive effective date: the amendments are treated as if enacted on December 29, 2022. This means the updated training framework would apply to training requirements as of that date, even though the bill is introduced in 2025. The bill does not specify new topics for training beyond expanding who can deliver it; rather, it formalizes a broader and more explicit set of recognized organizations and accredited education pathways.
Key Points
- 1Expands and clarifies which organizations can provide required prescriber training for controlled substances, adding several professional associations across medical fields (e.g., American Academy of Family Physicians, American Podiatric Medical Association, Academy of General Dentistry, American Optometric Association, and more).
- 2Includes podiatric and dental medicine curricula in the training framework and adds the Council on Podiatric Medical Education to the list of recognized providers.
- 3Broadens the set of eligible training providers to include additional organizations related to pharmacy, nursing, and psychiatry (e.g., American Pharmacists Association, Accreditation Council on Pharmacy Education, American Psychiatric Nurses Association, American Academy of Nursing, etc.), and specifies accreditation and education pathways (including accredited schools and accredited schools of pharmacy).
- 4Modifies organizational references and phrasing to reflect the expanded list of providers (e.g., ensuring correct usage of terms like “the Commission” and inclusion of podiatric and dental education).
- 5Effective date set to take effect as if enacted on December 29, 2022, retroactively.