As an approved MAT trainer, I taught approximately 60 classes in 2007.  I regularly receive calls or emails from providers who have questions about the medication administration process, particularly in regards to routes of administration which they have not been called upon to use since they completed the course.  Many of the routes of administration which are covered in the MAT course may only be used once or twice in a year.  This is a long time for those who are not health professionals to recall detailed information on medication procedures.  A recent Child Care Health Consultant meeting included a presentation on developing care plans for children with asthma in which the presenter commented that many providers require re-training on the use of inhalers if that route did not happen to be the route on which they were tested in the MAT class.  I believe it would be helpful for most providers to have an opportunity to review information and receive updated information  on some sort of regular basis.  For example, the procedure for epi-pen disposal has been changed since the time that many of them took the MAT course, but without refreshers, some of them may not receive this information until they renew their certification in three years.  If the renewal is limited to a written test, as is proposed, they may not get it even then!

Nurses and other health professionals are expected to have continuing education hours and demonstrate their competency on a regular basis.  It seems reasonable to expect that those who are not health professionals should have an annual refresher.  In fact, the annual refresher may be more valuable in protecting children than the three-year recertification.