American Society of Addiction Medicine

Conversation on the Future of Addiction Medicine with Nora Volkow, MD, Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and Maureen Boyle, PhD, Chief Quality and Science Officer at ASAM.

For their own distinct set of reasons, some people with substance use disorders may also resist becoming vaccinated, despite evidence showing that SUDs put them at higher risk of contracting and experiencing worse outcomes from SARS-CoV-2 infection. Previous experiences of being shamed or discriminated against in healthcare settings may make some people with SUDs wary of a voluntary clinic visit.

Following a period of burnout early in her career as a surgeon in Arizona, Teresa Jackson, MD, FASAM, needed a breakthrough. She had lost interest in her work to the point that she questioned whether she could even continue her career in healthcare.

On October 13th, ASAM, along with members of the Coalition to Stop Opioid Overdose (CSOO) and members of the Mental Health Liaison Group (MHLG), sent a letter to Chairman Ron Wyden and Ranking Member Mike Crapo of the Senate Committee on Finance, encouraging full extension of federal mental health and substance use disorder parity protections to Medicare, all of Medicaid, and TRICARE.

On October 4th, the Ohio Society of Addiction Medicine (OHSAM) sent a letter to Senator Terry Johnson of the Ohio General Assembly highlighting concerns with his recently introduced bill SB 216 or “Dylan’s Law.”

The American Society of Addiction Medicine and the American Medical Association today released new recommendations as part of the AMA Substance Use and Pain Care Task Force to help end the nation’s drug-related overdose and death epidemic.

On September 17th, the Northern New England Society of Addiction Medicine (NNESAM) sent a letter to Governor Janet Mills urging her to reinstate Executive Order 27, which expanded syringe services programs (SSPs) in Maine.