ACPE Continuing Education on Opioids and Substance Use Disorder

Substance use disorder (SUD) and opioid-related harms remain among the most significant health challenges in the United States, affecting over 48 million people and impacting families, workplaces, and communities nationwide. Pharmacists and healthcare teams across all practice settings are increasingly encountering patients with complex needs related to substance use, medication safety, and overdose risk—highlighting the critical role of pharmacists in prevention, education, and harm reduction.

Overdose Lifeline provides ACPE-approved continuing education that gives pharmacy professionals insight and practical tools they can use immediately in their work to reduce stigma and improve outcomes.

Whether you’re maintaining licensure or expanding your knowledge of substance use disorder, our courses are flexible, affordable, and designed for your schedule.

ACPE Pharmacy Accreditation Statement

The Overdose Lifeline online courses provide Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) CE credits through Purdue University College of Pharmacy, Office of Continuing Education.

Purdue University College of Pharmacy is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education as a provider of continuing pharmacy education. The Overdose Lifeline courses are a knowledge based, continuing education activity of Purdue University, an equal access/equal opportunity institution.

Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) is the national agency for accreditation in pharmacy education in the United States and U.S. territories.

Why Healthcare Professionals Choose Overdose Lifeline Education

35,000+ Clinicians / Professionals Served

Enhance Professional Knowledge and Effectiveness

92% of people strongly agree/agree...
"The course information has enhanced my professional knowledge and effectiveness in my interaction with individuals affected."

Trusted Opioid and SUD Education

Overdose Lifeline Education is trusted by clinicians, professionals, and partners in all 50 U.S. states, the Federal Bureau of Prisons, U.S. Navy, NIH National Institute of Drug Abuse, Healthcare Systems, Health Departments, Schools, Colleges and Universities, and more.

Research-Informed Instructional Design

Grounded in cognitive psychology and adult-learning theory. Content is structured using Bloom’s Taxonomy to support knowledge acquisition, comprehension, application, and skill development—promoting meaningful learning and real-world transfer.

Video-Based On-Demand Courses

ACPE-accredited video-based on-demand courses. Take online courses from anywhere, completing when it is convenient for you.

CE Credit and Certificate

Obtain the CE hours required for licensed professionals. Upon completion of this course you will receive a Statement of Participation Certificate with verification of credits earned and reported through CPE Monitor within 6 weeks.

Highly Recommended

87% of people strongly agree/agree... "Would recommend this course to a friend or colleague."

What people are saying

I never really understood the science behind addiction, but now I feel that I have more understanding and compassion for those who struggle with the disease of addiction. It was also beneficial to learn how drugs effect the brain , how the brain reacts to drugs and its release of dopamine.

Pharmacist

In the past when I thought about stigma and addiction, I typically thought about how another person (family member, neighbor) stigmatize someone with this disease. I now have a better understanding of how stigma from other areas of one's life (medical communities, law enforcement, etc.) affects someone with this disease and creates a barrier for recovery.

Healthcare Professional

I think anyone in my profession should understand not only the shame and stigma around substance use disorders, but also how important understanding the disease of addiction is. I think this is important because as healthcare providers, we can help implement harm reduction strategies in our field, help prevent accidental overdose, and allow more people to get the help that they need and deserve.

20-Credit Healthcare Professional

This was a very eye opening course as to how childhood trauma not only affects our behavior but our health outcomes and chronic conditions directly. As a pharmacist, sometimes we forget to take a look at other components of SUD. It is helpful to remind us to screen for ACEs and trauma.

Pharmacist

Prior to starting this course, I had several of those myths in my mind as a reason to be against medication. However, after taking this course, I realize the flaw in my thinking and look forward to learning more about effective medication for opioid use disorder programs and how to best integrate it into my patients care.

Healthcare Professional

Flexible Continuing Education Options

Science-based and research-informed courses, grounded in peer-reviewed neuroscience, addiction-medicine frameworks, and nationally recognized clinical standards.

Individual CE Courses

  • ACPE-accredited, self-paced modules providing 1.5-3 CE credits

  • Choose from topics including neurobiology of SUD, stigma, harm reduction, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and trauma, MAT/MOUD, SUD treatment and recovery, and naloxone and overdose prevention

  • Flexible, affordable options for earning CE at your own pace

20-Credit Advanced Certificate Program

  • Includes 8 ACPE-accredited courses + a practicum assignment

  • Earn a 20-Credit Advanced Certificate in SUD and Opioids

  • Designed to build broad, science-based and research-informed competency across prevention, treatment, recovery, stigma reduction, and opioid overdose prevention

ACPE Pharmacy Core SUD Training Bundle

  • Three essential ACPE-accredited courses packaged together

  • Delivers 8.0 CE credits

  • Core SUD Education: Includest the brain science of addiction, strategies to reduce shame and bias, and practical harm-reduction approaches that improve outcomes and community safety.

Looking for Group Enrollment?

We Simplify Group Administration

Group Enrollment Info

Frequently Asked Questions

You have six months from the date of enrollment to complete the course.

Most courses range from 1–3 hours (approximately 1 hour for each CE credit)

Yes. Your progress is saved automatically across any device.

Yes. All courses are fully responsive and work on any device—mobile, tablet, laptop, or desktop.

You can access the course on a computer, tablet, or mobile device with an internet connection. Audio-enabled devices are recommended.

Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge; iOS Safari v11+, Chrome, Samsung Internet. Internet Explorer is not supported.

Yes. Accredited by national CE bodies including ANCC, ACPE, ACCME and AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™ (ACCME) which is accepted for many clinical continuing education requirements and many societies and credentialing bodies as an equivalent as long as the topic is relevant to the applicant’s field or discipline.

Complete 100% of the course, pass the final exam (80%), and complete the survey.

Yes. Exam retakes are allowed.

Yes. Upon completion of each course you will receive a Statement of Participation Certificate with verification of credits earned and reported through CPE Monitor within 6 weeks for each of the 3 courses included in this bundle.

Yes. Group and enterprise options include 6+ enrollment discounting , customized learning track, centralized billing, staff enrollment support, and progress reporting. Learn More

While course access typically expired 6-months after purchase. We understand that extra time may be required. Contact [email protected].

Yes. Reach out to us at [email protected] to enroll in the 20-credit advanced certificate program -- we'll make sure your prior payment is accounted for.

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