Educations

Reducing Federal Bureaucratic Barriers to Methadone for Opioid Use Disorder and Empowering State Innovation

This statement recommends reducing federal bureaucratic barriers to methadone treatment (MT), allowing states to design their own safe and effective models to improve access to MT to meet the needs of patients.

Educations

Third-Party Payment for Addiction Treatment

Educations

Ensuring the Financial Sustainability of Addiction Treatment Services in the United States

This statement underscores the need for additional policy actions to ensure that the proper infrastructure is in place to support high-quality SUD and other addiction treatment services in the right place, and at the right time.

Educations

Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder in Correctional Settings

Correctional settings are diverse and may face significant barriers to providing MOUD access. Therefore, ASAM advocates for systemic changes to ensure universal access to MOUD within correctional institutions.

Educations

Housing’s Role in Addressing Substance Use and Facilitating Recovery

This public policy statement recommends policies that promote stability in housing, and therefore, are important for SUD recovery and overall health and wellness.

Educations

Reducing Risk of Federal Investigation or Prosecution for Prescribing Controlled Addiction Medications for Legitimate Medical Purposes

Addiction medications are lifesaving treatments for addiction. This policy statement recommends various reforms to reduce the risk of federal investigation or prosecution for prescribing these medications for legitimate medical purposes.

Educations

The Role of Pharmacists in Medications for Addiction Treatment

Pharmacists help ensure the safe and effective use of addiction medications. This policy statement identifies and addresses common challenges to accessing these medications at pharmacies.

Educations

Medical Ethics in Addiction Medicine

The American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) has adopted the American Medical Association’s (AMA) Principles and Code of Medical Ethics (“the Principles”) that guide physicians in the ethical practice of medicine. This statement elucidates the Principles to help guide ethical decision-making in the clinical practice of addiction medicine.

Educations

Ethical Use of Drug Testing in the Practice of Addiction Medicine

Educations

Government Strategies to Foster Ethical Addiction Treatment

This policy statement urges policymakers to prioritize policies that foster quality addiction treatment and enact long-term government strategies to address persistent unethical practices.

Educations

Strengthening Good Samaritan Laws to Prevent Fatal Overdose

To encourage more individuals to call for emergency medical assistance during an overdose, this policy statement recommends enactment of stronger Good Samaritan laws.

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Prevention

This policy statement makes recommendations that can increase access to high-quality, evidence-based prevention measures, which not only prevent substance use and related harms, but also promote health, wellbeing, and advance equity in society.

Educations

Refocusing Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMPs) to Serve Public Health

ASAM supports measures that protect public and patient health and safety, which includes a proper role for Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMPs) that promote safer prescribing and dispensing practices for controlled medications. This statement makes recommendations to ensure PDMPs serve public health.

Educations

Racial Justice Beyond Health Care: Addressing the Broader Structural Issues at the Intersection of Racism, Drug Use, and Addiction

This policy statement makes recommendations to address the broader structural issues at the intersection of racism, drug use, and addiction.

Educations

Optimizing Telehealth Access to Addiction Care

This policy statement makes recommendations to optimize telehealth access and utilize it to advance health equity in addiction medicine.

Educations

Substance Use and Substance Use Disorder Among Pregnant and Postpartum People

This policy statement promotes reforms to reverse the punitive approach taken to substance use during and after pregnancy and respond to the shared interests of the parent-newborn dyad.

Educations

Advancing Racial Justice in Health Care through Addiction Medicine

This policy statement focuses on actions that healthcare professionals, healthcare systems, and others can take to help advance addiction medicine and its role in addressing health disparities for people of color.

Educations

Hepatitis C Virus, Substance Use, and Addiction

The Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the most prevalent bloodborne infection associated with drug use. This policy statement recommends policies to improve the prevention and treatment of HCV.

Educations

Recognition and Role of Addiction Specialist Physicians in Health Care in the United States

Addiction specialist physicians (ASPs) include physicians from multiple different primary specialties. This public policy statement describes the important role and skills of ASPs in U.S. health care, as well as policy recommendations that can further enhance their leadership in patient care.

Educations

Morphine Milligram Equivalents for Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD)

This difference in doses of methadone and buprenorphine used to treat addiction and opioids used to treat pain may cause confusion among policymakers and payers attempting to set policies to prevent opioid overdose by limiting MME, as well as among state medical board officials attempting to enforce clinical guidelines and stem the over-prescription of opioid analgesics.