American Society of Addiction Medicine

In the fall of 2020, ASAM asked its members to answer a survey on structural racism in addiction medicine. The survey probed on two main areas. The first area was racism as it affects the health professionals who treat addiction. The second area was racism as it affects patients who suffer from addiction and the care they are able to access and receive.

The American Board of Medical Specialties’ (ABMS) approval of a four-year extension of the practice pathway in Addiction Medicine. This extension will allow physicians with substantial experience in the practice of Addiction Medicine, but who have not completed an ACGME-accredited fellowship in Addiction Medicine, to apply for the Addiction Medicine certification exam through the 2025 Exam Cycle.

On February 25th, the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) issued a Public Policy Statement on Advancing Racial Justice in Addiction Medicine , the first in a series of statements on addressing the systemic racism that permeates drug policy and impacts both the development of addiction as well as access to treatment for millions of Americans with substance use disorder (SUD). Recognizing systemic racism as a social determinant of health, the public policy statement released today is part of ASAM’s effort to recognize, understand, and counteract the effects of America’s historical, pervasive, and continuing systemic racism as it relates to addiction prevention, early intervention, diagnosis, treatment, and recovery.

The Minnesota Society of Addiction Medicine (MNSAM) submitted a letter in support of HF928, which would legalize possession of fentanyl testing strips, and empower syringe service providers to more effectively serve their clients by providing syringes and needles.

ASAM supports passage of legislation that would fully eliminate the X-waiver, which creates an unnecessary barrier for prescribing buprenorphine for opioid use disorder (OUD), with passage of complementary legislation that would ensure controlled medication prescribers receive baseline education and training on how to treat patients with substance use disorder (SUD).