What Addiction Professionals does

Addiction Professionals is a UK-registered charity (number 1144964) and company limited by guarantee (number 07869819) headquartered in Shrewsbury that operates as the principal voluntary registration and accreditation body for the UK addiction workforce. It maintains tiered individual memberships (Free, Practitioner at £85/year, Advanced Practitioner at £100/year) and organisational memberships for provider and academic affiliates, alongside accreditation pathways such as the Drug and Alcohol Professional Certificate and the National Counsellor Accreditation Certificate. The Practitioner Directory is positioned as a public-protection tool that lets patients and employers verify a practitioner's membership status and adherence to the organisation's Standards of Conduct and Ethics.

The technology footprint is modest and content-led: a public website (addictionprofessionals.org.uk), an e-learning platform (ap-elearning.org.uk) hosting the Naloxone Saves Lives module, a public practitioner directory, and webinar delivery via GoToWebinar. Billing is handled through PayPal, Stripe, and GoCardless. Sub-brands extend the proposition into specific communities: ISSUP UK, hosted in partnership with Adfam and the University of East London as the UK chapter of the global ISSUP network; the NSMNMPF peer support forum for non-medical prescribers in substance misuse; and Clinical Updates and CPD Webinars delivering a minimum of 15 hours of CPD per year.

Revenue comes from recurring membership and accreditation subscriptions, reduced-rate training and events, and educational grants from pharmaceutical sponsors (disclosed: Camurus and Ethypharm). Customer segments span individual practitioners, non-medical prescribers, provider organisations (NHS, charities, private), academic institutions, families affected by addiction, and prospective sector entrants. The organisation runs the long-standing Managing Addictions in Primary Care conference jointly with the Royal College of General Practitioners and participates in research collaborations with the University of East London, University of Roehampton, and Cranstoun on topics such as neurodivergence in addiction services.

Name

Addiction Professionals

Legal name

Addiction Professionals

Website

https://addictionprofessionals.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Addiction Professionals is a UK charity that operates as the voluntary registration and accreditation body for the addiction workforce, offering tiered memberships, accreditation certificates, a public practitioner directory, CPD webinars, clinical updates, and the Naloxone Saves Lives e-learning module.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Membership and Registration Services

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Behavioral Health & Counseling (Social Work, Psychology, Substance Use CE) (EDAAALAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Substance Use Disorder Prevention & Recovery Services (BPAGACAE)

Keywords

• Addiction professional registration
• Continuing professional development
• Addiction practitioner accreditation
• Professional membership body
• Substance misuse training

Headquarters

HQ city

Shrewsbury

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: Annual subscription fees from individual practitioners at various membership tiers (Practitioner, Advanced Practitioner, Premium CPD) with tiered pricing based on professional category.
2. Organisational Membership: Provider and Academic Affiliate organisational memberships with fees based on organisation size and type (not-for-profit vs for-profit).
3. Accreditation Services: Accreditation pathways for practitioners including Drug and Alcohol Professionals Certificate and National Counsellor Accreditation Certificate.
4. Premium CPD Membership: Paid continuing professional development membership providing webinars, clinical updates, and special offers on training events.
5. Training and Events: Reduced rates on training and events for members. Revenue from educational meetings and conferences.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Addiction Professionals operates as a UK voluntary registration body and professional membership organisation for the addiction sector. It offers tiered individual and organisational memberships (Practitioner, Advanced Practitioner, Premium CPD, Provider Affiliate, Academic Affiliate, and Free), a public practitioner directory, accreditation pathways for counsellors and drug and alcohol professionals, and continuing professional development through webinars, clinical updates, and e-learning modules such as Naloxone Saves Lives.

Product overview

Addiction Professionals operates as a membership organization offering a tiered membership structure (Free, Practitioner, Advanced Practitioner, and Organisational) centered around professional registration, accreditation, and continuing professional development for the UK addiction workforce. The core offerings include a public Practitioner Directory for public protection, accreditation services for drug and alcohol professionals and counsellors, and Premium CPD Membership providing webinars and clinical updates. Key programs include ISSUP UK (in partnership with Adfam and UEL), the NSMNMPF forum for non-medical prescribers, and the Naloxone Saves Lives e-learning module. The organization also provides clinical updates, CPD webinars, free resources, and guidance materials. The portfolio functions as a unified professional development ecosystem rather than a single product, with membership serving as the primary access mechanism for most services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ISSUP UK: UK National Chapter of the International Society of Substance Use Professionals, hosted by Addiction Professionals in partnership with Adfam and the University of East London
• NSMNMPF
• Naloxone Saves Lives

Products and services

• Practitioner Membership

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 10,000 completions of Naloxone Saves Lives e-learning module - building knowledge and confidence to recognise overdoses and save lives

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• AdfamcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Adfam is the national charity supporting families affected by alcohol, drug use, and gambling. Partner in ISSUP UK National Chapter consortium alongside Addiction Professionals (lead) and University of East London. Contributes expertise in family support, advocacy, and policy to strengthen the UK substance use workforce.
• University of East London (UEL)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Contributes research, education, and academic expertise through the Department of Psychology and Human Development. Partner in ISSUP UK National Chapter consortium. Supports evidence-informed practice, research collaboration, and knowledge exchange between academia and frontline services.
• Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual Managing Addictions in Primary Care conference delivered in partnership since the conference's inception 30 years ago. Provides platform for sharing practice and building confidence among GPs and addiction professionals.
• International Society of Substance Use Professionals (ISSUP)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerAddiction Professionals hosts and leads the ISSUP UK National Chapter as part of the global ISSUP network. Provides platform for discussion, collaboration, webinars, workshops, and professional events across the substance use sector.
• CamurusminorOthersEducational grant sponsor for NSMNMPF (National Substance Misuse Non-Medical Prescriber Forum) events and newsletters.
• EthypharmminorOthersEducational grant sponsor for NSMNMPF (National Substance Misuse Non-Medical Prescriber Forum) events and newsletters. Also funder of the 'Gear Has Changed' disease awareness campaign.
• University at East LondoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration on neurodivergence in addiction services. Co-investigators Dr Raffaella M. Milani and Dr Luisa Perrino from UEL partnered with University of Roehampton and Cranstoun Drug and Alcohol Services, funded by Sir Halley Stewart Trust.
• University of RoehamptoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration on neurodivergence in addiction services. Co-investigator Dr Luisa Perrino from University of Roehampton partnered with UEL and Cranstoun Drug and Alcohol Services.
• Cranstoun Drug and Alcohol ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration on neurodivergence in addiction services. Partnered with University of East London and University of Roehampton, funded by Sir Halley Stewart Trust.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals: NAADAC is the US national membership and certification body for addiction-focused counselors, educators, and other professionals, offering tiered credentials and continuing education. It is the most direct international analogue to Addiction Professionals, operating the same voluntary registration, accreditation, and CPD model in a different geography.
• Adfam: Adfam is the UK national charity supporting families affected by alcohol, drug use, and gambling, and is a co-partner with Addiction Professionals in the ISSUP UK National Chapter consortium. The two organizations share a UK substance-use nonprofit base and jointly deliver workforce development content.
• Alcohol Change UK: Alcohol Change UK is a leading UK charity working on alcohol harm reduction, providing research, public information, and professional resources. It is a peer in the UK substance-use nonprofit ecosystem with overlapping audience of practitioners, policymakers, and affected families.
• Society for the Study of Addiction (SSA): SSA is a UK-based learned society promoting the study of addiction through journals, conferences, and grants. It serves a similar UK professional and academic audience as Addiction Professionals, though its centre of gravity is research and publication rather than practitioner registration.
• International Society of Substance Use Professionals (ISSUP): ISSUP is the global professional body for the substance use prevention and treatment workforce, of which Addiction Professionals hosts the UK National Chapter. The two share mission, accreditation pathways, and event programming at the international level.

Broad incumbents

• British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP): BACP is the UK's largest professional body for counsellors and psychotherapists, offering voluntary registration, accreditation, and CPD. It competes for membership spend and accreditation status among addiction counsellors, and represents a broader incumbent with a wider therapeutic remit.
• Royal College of Psychiatrists - Faculty of Addictions: The Royal College of Psychiatrists is the UK's main professional body for psychiatrists and operates a dedicated Faculty of Addictions that sets clinical standards and delivers CPD for addiction-specialist doctors. It is a broader incumbent with overlapping CPD and accreditation function, though its membership is medical rather than multi-disciplinary.

Regional players

• College of Mental Health Pharmacy (CMHP): CMHP is the UK professional body for pharmacists working in mental health, including substance misuse, providing CPD, credentialing, and peer networks. It is a UK regional peer with partial overlap in the non-medical prescriber and pharmacy CPD space that NSMNMPF serves.

Emerging players

• International Nurses Society on Addictions (IntNSA): IntNSA is an international nursing specialty organization focused on addictions, providing education, certification, and a network for nurse prescribers and clinicians. It is an emerging peer that overlaps with AP's NSMNMPF non-medical prescriber audience and addiction nursing CPD.
• Drug and Alcohol Findings: Drug and Alcohol Findings is a UK-based evidence intermediary that summarizes intervention research for the substance-use treatment workforce. It overlaps with AP's clinical-updates and CPD content mission for the same UK practitioner audience.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/addictionprofs
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/addictionprofessionals
• Facebookfacebook.com/addictionprofessionals
• Instagraminstagram.com/addictionprofessionals

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Addiction Professionals